Esteban Ocon has confirmed that his tenure with the Haas Formula 1 team will conclude at the close of the 2026 season, a statement jointly issued by the driver and the outfit. The announcement arrived on Wednesday morning, ending weeks of speculation surrounding the future of the 30‑year‑old Frenchman within the organization. Alongside the confirmation of Ocon’s exit, Haas made it clear that there is no immediate update regarding his successor. Rumours have circulated that Brazilian Ferrari junior Rafael Camara could be earmarked to join Britain’s Oliver Bearman for the 2027 lineup, but the team has not provided any official word at this stage.
In a personal post on social media, Ocon expressed his thoughts on the departure: “My time with Haas F1 Team will come to an end at the end of the 2026 season. I leave this project with my head held high and proud of my performances in what were not always the easiest of circumstances for various reasons and factors outside of my control.” Ocon originally moved to Haas from Alpine for the 2025 season. Since then, he has consistently been out‑paced by the 21‑year‑old Bearman, who has emerged as the team’s faster driver over their two‑year partnership. The performance gap widened further in 2026, with Bearman finishing 13th in the Drivers’ Championship with 20 points, while Ocon ended the year 16th with just seven points.
In qualifying, Bearman enjoyed a 10‑to‑4 advantage over Ocon throughout the season. Team principal Ayao Komatsu praised Ocon’s contributions, stating, “I’d like to thank Esteban for everything he’s contributed to the team since joining us in 2025. His professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation. Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban’s driving experience and inputs were significant as we’ve worked hard to develop the VF‑26 across the season.” Komatsu added that the team remains focused on extracting maximum performance from the car for the remaining eight rounds of the campaign.
With only eight races left in the 2026 calendar, Ocon’s future on the grid looks uncertain. The timing of the announcement suggests that he is unlikely to secure a race seat for the 2027 season, leaving the possibility of a reserve‑driver role or a hiatus from Formula 1.
Nevertheless, Ocon insisted that his career is far from over. “My immediate focus is the next race weekend,” he said. “I will continue to work hard with the team, maximise every opportunity, and keep extracting every bit of performance from the car.
There are still many races to go this season and, as always, I will give it my everything behind the wheel for myself and for my team. I am still motivated.
I am still hungry. This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career.” This is not the first time Ocon has found himself without a full‑time seat.
In 2019, after being released by Force India (the entity that later evolved into Racing Point and now Aston Martin), he served as a reserve driver for Mercedes. He returned to the grid in 2020 with Renault, remaining with the team through its rebrand to Alpine, and secured his sole Grand Prix victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
During his brief stint with Haas, Ocon’s most notable result came early, with a fifth‑place finish at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix – his best finish for the team. In 2026, his top performance was an eighth‑place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Looking ahead, Haas appears poised to field two Ferrari‑linked junior drivers in 2027. Both Bearman and the anticipated replacement Camara are contracted to Ferrari, which supplies the power units to Haas.
Camara, currently 21, leads the Formula 2 championship by seven points with two rounds remaining, making him a strong candidate for promotion. The broader Formula 1 calendar will see a return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix slated to take place at the Sepang International Circuit.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available through NOW without a long‑term contract. The upcoming races will be crucial for both Ocon’s personal legacy and Haas’s strategic planning as they navigate the post‑2026 landscape.