Ocon states that the issue with Haas is the inconsistency of their car.

      "Ayao, Ollie, and I have discussed it extensively."

      Esteban Ocon is convinced that his improved performance at Zandvoort reinforces his ongoing assertion that the inconsistent Haas cars, rather than solely driver skill, have impacted the comparison with Oliver Bearman this season. His position for 2027 is facing greater scrutiny, with Leonardo Fornaroli, Rafael Camara, Jack Doohan, and even Yuki Tsunoda rumored to be potential candidates for Haas. However, Ocon has continuously claimed that the two VF-26s do not always perform consistently, even with seemingly identical components. "Ayao, Ollie, and I have talked about it a lot, and it’s been tough to determine exactly where the issues arise each time, because we can install the same parts on the car and one car will function while the other does not," he stated. He mentioned that Bearman's performance at Spa and Budapest highlighted this inconsistency. "So it doesn’t always add up and it doesn’t really make sense."

      "There is clearly a consistency issue that we haven’t been able to resolve, and we are still collaborating to pinpoint the problems." At Zandvoort, the situation changed again. Ocon qualified in P15, finishing ahead of Bearman, who faced significant difficulties, and he conveyed to France’s Auto Hebdo that his car finally behaved predictably. "The car was really optimized compared to what we have," he clarified. "It clearly wasn’t enough to contest with the cars ahead - we were three-tenths behind Colapinto, and I had a very good lap. I was satisfied with that."

      For Ocon, the most intriguing aspect was that the unexplained differences between the cars had reemerged, but in the opposite direction. "We don’t understand why, and we note discrepancies with Ollie. This weekend, we’re observing differences that are not the same as in Hungary." "It feels like every time we put a car on the track, we're flipping a coin, and one car might work while the other doesn’t." Ocon mentioned that he has seldom felt this comfortable with the Haas throughout the season. "Maybe at Silverstone and Suzuka, but that’s it." "Rediscovering this feeling is really wonderful." Team principal Ayao Komatsu also refrained from criticizing Ocon when questioned about the increasing 2027 rumors. "Esteban, when he’s pleased with the car, you know the potential he has," the Japanese stated. "So we need to truly focus on providing them with the best possible car, the best setup adjustments, and help them excel."