Ocon addresses Haas future as Formula 1 exit speculation grows – Esteban Ocon has confirmed that he is in discussions with Haas over his Formula 1 future, as uncertainty grows around the team’s 2027 driver lineup. The Frenchman is facing increasing competition for his seat after a difficult season, but insists Haas’ problems cannot be blamed on its drivers.
Ocon admitted ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid that talks about his future with Haas have been taking place for several weeks.
“Of course, we have been having discussions about the future for the past few weeks,” Ocon confirmed.
Haas has yet to announce its driver lineup for the 2027 Formula 1 season, leaving Ocon’s position uncertain. While teammate Oliver Bearman appears to have a stronger position within the team, speculation has increasingly linked Haas with potential alternatives to the experienced Frenchman.
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Ocon’s Haas future remains uncertain
Ocon joined Haas for the 2025 season after leaving Alpine, but his results this year have left him trailing Bearman in the championship.
The 29-year-old has collected just three points so far, compared with 18 for his younger teammate. Haas currently sits seventh in the constructors’ standings, adding further pressure as the team evaluates its options for the future.
Among the names linked with a potential Haas opportunity is Rafael Camara, who has emerged as one of the leading young talents on the Formula 1 ladder.
Red Bull reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda has also been mentioned as a possible alternative, while Haas recently provided additional opportunities for young drivers during its Testing of Previous Cars programme in Portimao.
Camara, Ryo Hirakawa and Leonardo Fornaroli all drove the Haas during the TPC test at the end of August, providing the team with an opportunity to assess potential talent while also adding fuel to speculation surrounding its future lineup.
Ocon rejects pressure from Haas testing
Despite the speculation, Ocon said he sees no reason to be concerned about Haas testing other drivers.
“The team is allowed to have other drivers test if it wants to. The TPC program is very important for us,” the Frenchman explained.
Haas’ testing programme is part of its wider development and driver evaluation process, meaning participation does not necessarily indicate that a current driver is about to be replaced.
Nevertheless, with the 2027 market beginning to take shape, every opportunity given to a potential replacement is likely to attract additional attention.
‘The problem within the team is not the drivers’
Ocon was also keen to make clear that he does not believe the team’s disappointing season should be attributed to either himself or Bearman.
“We know that the problem within the team is not the drivers.”
The Frenchman believes the focus instead needs to remain on improving the Haas car, arguing that both drivers are working together to extract everything possible from the package.
“Everyone is pulling together to get the best out of the car.”
That assessment places responsibility firmly on the team’s development programme rather than its driver pairing. Haas’ ability to improve the competitiveness of its car could therefore have a major influence on whether Ocon remains part of its plans beyond the current season.
Ocon focused on improving Haas
For now, Ocon insists he is concentrating on extracting the maximum from the current package rather than allowing speculation about his future to become a distraction.
“Right now, I’m focused solely on getting the most out of our potential, fixing the car’s problems, getting to know this new track, and hopefully achieving good results,” he said ahead of the Madrid weekend.
The coming months could prove decisive. Haas has yet to commit publicly to its 2027 lineup, while the emergence of potential alternatives means Ocon will need to demonstrate that he remains the right driver to help the team move forward.
For Ocon, however, the message is clear: he believes the drivers are not the fundamental problem at Haas. The car must improve first.
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He’s right that the drivers are a non-issue, given all the issues & struggles the whole team has suffered from for a little while.
Additionally, teams can indeed use any driver they want in their TPC tests.
Ultimately, if anyone were to replace him, Camara or alternatively Fornaroli as only they could even be objectively superior options to him.
Hirakawa stands zero chance against them in the end, especially given his career situation, & he wouldn’t even be a superior option to Doohan, who himself wouldn’t be a superior successor option to Camara & Fornaroli either.
Tsunoda hasn’t even been a strong candidate at any point or he would’ve already been chosen & announced by now since he’s clearly a known quantity as an F1 driver, & all this were clear even before Komatsu directly named everyone in contention.
I forgot to mention that he’s been in talks with Haas about renewing for a little while & confirmed this already in Hungary, so nothing new on this front.