Ocon is done for 2026
Haas settled the question this evening. In a statement, the team said Esteban Ocon will not drive for it again this season, and that Rafael Camara will line up alongside Ollie Bearman at next weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The break did not come out of nowhere. Ocon was pulled on Saturday, before the second day of running at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Ryo Hirakawa drafted in for the rest of the weekend. Haas never explained the call at the time and only said the Frenchman was not ill. This evening’s statement is just as quiet on the reasons.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said the decision was not taken lightly, but that he is convinced it serves the team’s future. He called the talks between Haas and Ocon an internal matter and said the team will keep such private discussions confidential.
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A home debut for Camara
Camara gets his first Formula 1 start on home soil. The Brazilian was announced last month as one of Haas’s full-time drivers for 2027, and the team pointed to his display in a TPC test race in August as the reason it trusts him. Komatsu said Haas is looking forward to welcoming him this weekend and working with him on the debut.
Ocon, 30, was already on an expiring deal with Haas. On Saturday evening he spoke of a difference of views with the team and flatly denied reports of a physical altercation with his boss. He said he accepts that an exchange took place, but rejects any suggestion that violence was used, and condemned it in every form.
His next move is unclear. Almost every race seat for next year is already filled, so a role as a reserve driver may be the most realistic way for him to stay in the paddock.
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