Ocon's future is unclear, but his team leader denies that Haas is losing interest.
"We're not in any hurry"
Esteban Ocon’s future with Haas is still unclear as the team faces challenges in a tough 2026 season, with multiple drivers speculated to take his seat next year. Leonardo Fornaroli, Rafael Camara, Jack Doohan, and even Yuki Tsunoda are being considered as potential candidates for 2027, while Ocon has consistently lagged behind Oliver Bearman in performance this year. The French driver believes that intermittent car issues could be a factor in the performance gap. "We’re still investigating why we experience some problems at times, but it's positive when we don’t face them, as we can achieve the maximum performance," Ocon stated after the sprint qualifying at Zandvoort.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged that Haas has struggled to keep up with the development pace of their bigger competitors since starting the season off strong. "We began the season in an extremely good position, much better than anyone anticipated, but since then, the reality has set in. Given our limitations, we are attempting to accelerate car development, but others are able to enhance their performance more rapidly than we are," Komatsu explained. He mentioned that another upgrade is expected for Monza but cautioned against expecting a significant improvement.
Regarding the decision on Haas's 2027 drivers, Komatsu refrained from providing specifics, stating, "We can't discuss that right now. We are not rushed. Our focus is on our two drivers, Ollie and Esteban, and maximizing their potential.” He added, “Ollie has demonstrated his capabilities repeatedly, and when Esteban is satisfied with the car, we know what he is capable of."
Komatsu also firmly denied former team principal Gunther Steiner’s claim that team owner Gene Haas has lost interest in Formula 1. "No," the Japanese replied sharply. "I don't believe I've seen Gene at this many races before. His expectations can be very high, which is positive. He feels frustrated because he's so dedicated to the results. But no, it’s actually the opposite. I’ve never seen him attending so many races."
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