Esteban Ocon Addresses Frustrating Haas Exit Ahead of Bahrain GP: “I Know the Reasons”
After weeks of paddock speculation, Haas Formula 1 Team officially announced on Wednesday that it will part ways with Esteban Ocon at the end of the 2026 season. The 30-year-old French driver, who joined the American outfit from Alpine in 2025, is now officially a free agent searching for a seat on the 2027 grid.
Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s relocated Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, Ocon faced intense questioning regarding his abrupt departure, especially after recently claiming he still considers himself one of the best drivers in the sport.
Ocon: “I Deserve to Be Here”
When asked by the media how frustrating it is to find himself without a guaranteed drive for 2027, Ocon was visibly defensive but admitted the situation is less than ideal.
“Yeah, it is frustrating because it’s not really the way it should be, but other than that, I’m not going to go into detail in what happens in the past, you know,” Ocon told the media. “I’m looking ahead, I’m looking at the future, that’s what’s important”.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – OCTOBER 01: Esteban Ocon of France and Haas F1 talks to the media during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain in Malaysia at Sepang Circuit on October 01, 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/LAT Images)
Despite a successful two-year spell where he helped Haas secure its second-highest points total in a decade as a constructor, Ocon has recently struggled to consistently match the blistering pace of his younger teammate, Oliver Bearman. Still, the veteran of 195 career starts remains adamant that he belongs in Formula 1.
“I mean, I deserve to be here. I put [in] the hard work,” Ocon continued. “We have benefited from, you know, finding out all these issues very early, you know, since I joined the team, and it has been, you know, very good for everyone. So, of course, I don’t think I deserve, you know, to have this for the future, but, you know, it’s as I said, there’s opportunities all the time in Formula One and that’s what I’m looking at”.
The Cryptic Logic Behind the Split
When pressed on when he realized the doors at Haas were closing, and whether he understood the underlying logic of the team’s decision, Ocon offered a somewhat contradictory response.
“Again, you know, I don’t want to have any further to comment really on this. Looking ahead, not to the past,” Ocon replied. “I’m not going to comment on, you know, the reasons or what could be. I know the reasons. I’m not going to share them, but the reasons are I’m not performing at my best yet”.
MONZA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Esteban Ocon of France driving the (31) Haas F1 VF-26 Ferrari in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 05, 2026 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
While Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has publicly thanked Ocon for his contributions through the massive 2026 technical regulation changes, the team has not yet named his official successor. However, paddock insiders and reports from The Race and Formula1.com indicate that Ferrari junior driver and current Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Camara is the heavy favorite to claim the empty seat alongside Bearman in 2027.
Ocon, meanwhile, will spend the remainder of the 2026 season fighting to prove his worth to the rest of the grid.
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.