Ocon calls himself a free agent for the first time
Ocon has finally said it out loud: no contract for 2027, talks with other teams, and a Haas squad auditioning replacements. He wants to stay, but the call is not his.
Esteban Ocon has admitted for the first time that he currently has no contract for 2027, as speculation intensifies that Haas is preparing to replace him.
"At this point, I'm definitely a free agent for next year," Ocon said in Baku.
"There are things that are being discussed and are beyond my control. So I'll keep fighting until the end of the year and see how things play out."
Asked whether discussions with other teams are taking place, he replied: "Of course."
But Ocon, 30, has not ruled out staying at Haas. "We'll see," said the Frenchman.
The uncertainty comes as Haas continues an unusually extensive TPC program to assess potential replacements.
Jack Doohan was the latest candidate to get an audition, driving the 2025 Haas at Jerez last week.
That followed the Portimao test involving Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli and Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, who is increasingly regarded as the leading candidate for the seat.
Ocon nevertheless insists he still has unfinished business in Formula 1.
"I've competed in almost 200 races, which is a lot, but I'm not satisfied with what I've done and what I've accomplished so far," he said.
"When I see some of my colleagues I've raced with, they're all winning races, starting from pole position, and that's where I want to be too. I still have a lot to offer this sport, I'm not looking to do anything else."
Komatsu on two Ferrari juniors
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has also rejected suggestions that the team would resist pairing two Ferrari-linked drivers if Camara joined Oliver Bearman.
"For me, it doesn't matter at all," said the Japanese.
"We really want two fast drivers, because that's the best way to develop this team. It doesn't matter whether it's two Ferrari drivers, two Toyota drivers, or two McLaren drivers."
"Whoever is faster is the best."
Komatsu said commercial or manufacturer affiliations would only matter if two candidates were extremely closely matched.
"I've always said that you have to choose a driver based on results, and that's exactly what we're doing."
For Ocon, the situation is now unusually exposed.
"The final decision doesn't really depend on me, but I'm ready to stay with Haas next year," he reiterated to French reporters.
"I'm thriving and learning within this team."
Related: Ocon still finds his Haas different before 2027 call
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All signs have been pointing to Camara for a while, & while he deserves a chance to compete in F1, the likely move would also be about the team’s medium-term prospects, rather than Ocon himself, especially given the big picture of this season so far.
However, losing his Haas drive to Camara will inevitably mean that he’ll be left without a drive for next season since Alonso isn’t quitting yet & no team would sacrifice either of their current drivers for him (no different from Tsunoda’s situation), largely because they don’t have a reason to change for the time being & because he wouldn’t definitively be a superior option.
Haas hasn't been choosing for non-sporting factors after Mazepin & the scenario of being fully or extremely closely-matched isn't the case here.
Additionally, Komatsu mightn't care about the McLaren aspect, but Ferrari & Toyota most certainly would, particularly the former.