Esteban Ocon will miss the rest of the Formula 1 season, and Haas has already announced who will take his place.
Haas have announced that Esteban Ocon will no longer be racing for them, and they’ve already named his replacement.
In a surprising change, Ocon was dropped from the team during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. Test driver Ryo Hirakawa took over after reports of a ‘physical altercation’ with team boss Ayao Komatsu. Ocon denied these claims but did admit there was an argument, which seems to have led to him losing his race seat with four races left in the 2026 season.
Just days after the Mexico City GP, Haas confirmed that Ocon won’t be competing for them again this year. Instead, Ferrari junior and current Formula 2 leader Rafael Camara will make his Grand Prix debut in Sao Paulo this weekend.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu said, “We have told Esteban that he won’t return to the race seat this season. Decisions like this are never easy, but we believe it’s best for the team. The details of what happened are private, and we respect that. We’re excited to have Rafael Camara join Ollie Bearman for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Rafa did really well in his TPC race in August, and we can’t wait to work with him during his F1 debut driving the VF-26 in Brazil.”
Haas had already confirmed Camara would race for them in 2027, taking Ocon’s place. However, it’s still unclear if Camara will drive for the team at the last few races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, as Hirakawa has also shared the seat.
As for Ocon, his next steps are uncertain. Losing his Haas seat puts his Formula One future in question. So far, he hasn’t made a public statement about the news.
There are some rumours that he might become a reserve driver for another team in 2027, with Aston Martin mentioned as a possibility. Another option could be switching to a different motorsport, like the FIA World Endurance Championship.
We’ll keep you updated as more news comes in.