Haas have permanently dropped Esteban Ocon for the four remaining races of the 2026 F1 season, just days after the French driver was replaced for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa stepped into the seat for the race following a reported row between Ocon and team principal Ayao Komatsu after Friday's practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. However, Haas has yet to confirm the details of any incident.
It was recently announced that Ocon would be leaving Haas at the end of 2026, with Brazilian driver Rafael Câmara replacing him in the car next season. The 21-year-old is currently racing for Invicta, where he is leading the F2 standings with just two rounds of the season left to go.
However, Haas has now said that Ocon would "no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 World Championship".
“Such decisions are never made lightly”
Ayao Komatsu said in a statement: "We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with Haas this season.
"Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City - but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.
"The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations."
Rafael Câmara could now make his F1 debut sooner than anticipated at the São Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, with last weekend’s replacement Hirakawa reportedly unavailable due to the World Endurance Championship season finale in Monza. The Toyota driver currently leads the Hypercar standings alongside teammates Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
words: Mike Booth
picture: Red Bull Content Pool