New details show Esteban Ocon lost his seat after a ‘physical fight’ with the Haas boss, according to reports.
A new report suggests Esteban Ocon was suddenly dropped after a heated argument with his Haas team boss, Ayao Komatsu.
On Saturday morning during the Mexico City GP weekend, Haas announced that Ocon wouldn’t race for the rest of the weekend. Test driver Ryo Hirakawa stepped in to replace him.
A source has now shared what might have led to Ocon’s sudden exit.
Before this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Haas had already said that Ocon would leave the team, with Ferrari junior Rafael Camara taking over. The French driver was clearly upset about the decision, saying he “didn’t deserve” to be out of F1.
His frustration seemed to show in Mexico when he had a tense chat with his race engineer during the second practice session.
“We’ve changed the high tyre run to medium because Ollie [Bearman]’s performance isn’t right,” his engineer said over the radio.
“I’m still doing soft tyres, right?” Ocon asked.
“No, we’re doing medium,” came the reply.
“No, no, I want to do soft… don’t do that to me, come on,” Ocon insisted. “It’s my turn this weekend, so come on.”
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the argument didn’t stop there. They reported that a meeting between Ocon and team boss Komatsu ended suddenly, maybe even with some physical tension, although neither side commented.
The paper was set to interview Ocon but the interview was canceled, and Haas released a short, no-frills statement announcing his departure.
“If Ocon had been sick, they would have said so,” the report said. “They didn’t, and the very brief statement suggests Ocon and the team parted on bad terms on Friday evening after the first day of free practice.”
After that, his name disappeared from mentions, as if they wanted to quickly close this chapter—one that was expected to end at the season’s close.
The sudden decision caught many off guard. By 10 a.m., the mechanics were already preparing Hirakawa’s car with new numbers.
“The team had planned an interview with Ocon for the Brazilian Grand Prix about his F1 career and future,” the report added. “Nothing hinted that things would end this way.”