Ocon's position at Haas is now officially in jeopardy.

      Komatsu has made the situation quite clear.

      Ayao Komatsu has confirmed for the first time that Esteban Ocon is among the five drivers competing for a single Haas seat in 2027. This confirmation follows just days after Haas completed a notable private TPC evaluation at Portimao, where Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Rafael Camara participated in similar programs as the team explores alternatives to Ocon. Jack Doohan is also expected to finish his own Haas test at Jerez this month.

      Writing for the Japanese outlet as-web.jp, Komatsu has laid out the situation in clear terms. "As has already been reported, five drivers, including our reserve driver, are vying for one seat for 2027," he stated. "The five drivers are reserve drivers Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan, along with Leonardo Fornaroli, Rafael Camara, and Esteban."

      Komatsu indicated that the decision will primarily be based on speed. "When it comes to the criteria we use to make our decisions, it’s mostly performance," he said. He mentioned that Hirakawa, Fornaroli, and Oliver Bearman had been separated by less than a tenth during a previous Jerez test, before Haas organized the recent Portimao sessions for further comparison.

      Komatsu also expressed his willingness to promote younger talent. "There was a time when young drivers didn’t have many opportunities in F1, but that changed significantly last year," he noted. "It’s still beneficial to provide young people with a chance."