Ocon may be out of Haas for good as new reports reveal team tensions
Esteban Ocon may have driven his final race for Haas, with reports suggesting the Frenchman could remain sidelined for the rest of the 2026 Formula 1 season following his unexpected replacement at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Brazilian F1 journalist Julianne Cerasoli reported on X on Saturday, 31 October, that conversations with several people in the paddock pointed towards Ocon leaving the team earlier than planned.
However, Haas has only confirmed that reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will replace him for the remainder of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. The team has not announced any changes to its driver line-up for subsequent races.
The uncertainty follows reports of disagreements between Ocon and team personnel during Friday’s practice sessions.
Reports of disagreements inside Haas
According to reports circulating in the paddock, Ocon was involved in a tense verbal confrontation with a member of Haas’s communications department on Friday evening.
The claim, attributed to journalist Daniel Panelo and reported by SoyMotor, has not been independently confirmed. It remains unclear whether the alleged confrontation played any part in the decision to remove Ocon from the car.
A separate disagreement was heard over team radio during the second practice session on Friday, when Ocon challenged race engineer Laura Mueller over a change to his tyre programme.
The Frenchman wanted to continue running on soft tyres, but the team instructed him to switch to mediums to complete its planned longer runs.
«We have to do medium,» Mueller told him.
«No, no. I wanted the soft, don’t do that to me. Come on,» Ocon replied.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu has denied reports of a dispute with Ocon, according to Reuters. Haas has also confirmed that the driver’s withdrawal was not related to illness.
Who could replace Ocon for the rest of 2026?
With the São Paulo Grand Prix scheduled for 8 November, attention has shifted to who could take the second Haas seat alongside Oliver Bearman.
Cerasoli suggested that Rafael Câmara, who is already confirmed as Ocon’s replacement for 2027, could make an early Formula 1 debut at his home race in Brazil.
The Brazilian driver is part of Ferrari’s development programme and has been linked with an appearance during the São Paulo weekend.
However, Hirakawa remains another possible option, while Jack Doohan is also available as a Haas reserve driver.
Photographer and F1 journalist Kym Illman reported that Ocon’s name and racing number had been removed from the Haas garage in Mexico. He suggested Hirakawa could retain the seat for the remainder of 2026, with Doohan assuming reserve duties from Brazil.
Aston Martin emerges as possible next destination
Ocon could remain in Formula 1 next season, although potentially without a permanent race seat.
Autosport reported that the Frenchman is likely to become Aston Martin‘s reserve driver in 2027 following his departure from Haas.
The potential move would allow him to remain involved in Formula 1 while seeking another opportunity to return to the grid.
The situation resembles Ocon’s departure from Alpine in 2024, when the team replaced him with Jack Doohan for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of his planned move to Haas.
Haas had previously indicated that Ocon would complete the 2026 season despite his confirmed departure.
When the team announced their separation in September, Komatsu said it intended to continue working with the Frenchman until the final race of the year.
