Sports · Motorsport · 2 hrs ago
Esteban Ocon's F1 career may be nearing its end
Esteban Ocon’s active Formula 1 career may be ending after his abrupt departure from Haas.
He reached the top level of racing from a modest background and earned several podiums and a race win.
Haas removed Ocon from the car during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend, but what happened between him and the team is not clear.
The team also decided he would not race for it again this season.
Most seats for the 2027 season are already taken, making another full-time drive difficult to secure.
Ocon could instead become a reserve driver and wait for an opening, as he did before returning to racing in 2020.
A comeback remains possible, but the path is uncertain.
Esteban Ocon’s abrupt departure from Haas has raised doubts about whether he will continue racing in Formula 1.
The articles say an incident occurred during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend, after which Haas sidelined Ocon and decided he would not race for the team again this season.
Haas gave Ocon’s car to Ryo Hirakawa, who had not previously started an F1 race.
Most seats for the 2027 season are already taken, making an immediate return to the grid difficult, the articles say.
Ocon could seek a reserve role and return later, as he did after spending a year as Mercedes’ reserve driver.
- Who
- Esteban Ocon, Haas and replacement driver Ryo Hirakawa.
- What
- Ocon was sidelined by Haas and will not race for the team again this season, raising uncertainty about his F1 future.
- When
- During the 2026 season, after something happened during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend.
- Where
- Haas; the incident was during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend. The sources do not specify where the team’s decision was made.
- Why
- The sources do not say what happened between Ocon and Haas.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ocon returned to racing with Renault after spending a year as Mercedes' reserve driver.
Something happened involving Ocon and Haas, and the team sidelined him.
Haas decided Ocon would not race for the team again that season and gave his car to Ryo Hirakawa.
The season is due to begin in Bahrain, but Ocon’s participation is uncertain.
- Driver
- Esteban Ocon
- Team
- Haas
- Replacement
- Ryo Hirakawa, who had no previous F1 starts
- Incident timing
- 2026 Mexico Grand Prix weekend
- Prior reserve role
- Mercedes, for a year before Ocon returned with Renault in 2020
- Potential next season
- 2027, with most F1 seats already taken
3 sources
What people are saying
There's no point speculating about what actually happened between him and the team.
It's almost impossible to imagine Ocon on the grid when the 2027 season begins in Bahrain - if it begins in Bahrain - with most seats already taken and those potentially still available having plenty of candidates queuing up for them.