Haas drops Esteban Ocon for rest of 2026 season and fast-tracks Rafael Camara to Brazil debut

Haas ends Ocon's season early

Haas announced on Tuesday, 3 November, that Esteban Ocon will not return to a race seat with the team this season. Team principal Ayao Komatsu issued the decision in a news release, which also confirmed that Rafael Camara will line up alongside Ollie Bearman at the São Paulo Grand Prix this weekend. Camara had already been named as Ocon's replacement for 2027, so the early debut brings forward a plan that was due to take effect at the end of the year. Haas has not said whether Camara will also drive the Las Vegas round two weeks later.

“We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with TGR Haas F1 Team this season.”

The Mexico City weekend

The break came during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. Ocon and race engineer Laura Müller had an exchange on the radio over tyre choice during second practice on Friday, 30 October. On the morning of Saturday, 31 October, Haas announced that reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa would take over Ocon's car for the rest of the weekend. The team confirmed that Ocon was not ill but gave no further explanation, and Telegraaf later reported that Hirakawa finished tenth.

Ocon's denial and the L'Equipe report

Later on Saturday, L'Equipe published a report under a headline that raised the possibility of a physical altercation with his boss, alongside a tense exchange with his engineer. BBC reported that the French paper described a meeting between Komatsu and Ocon as having ended abruptly, perhaps even physically. Ocon then wrote on social media that no physical violence had been used to resolve any differences. He acknowledged that a difference in viewpoints had led to a discussion between the parties involved, and he said he condemns violence in all its forms.

“The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations.”

Tension had built across the season, with Ocon racing for Haas for two years. The parting of ways was first announced in late September, when both sides confirmed he would leave at the end of 2026.

Camara's route to the grid

Rafael Camara is 21 and comes from Recife, according to Fanpage, which reported that he came through the Ferrari Driver Academy. He leads the Formula 2 standings with Invicta Racing, and he was announced by Haas on 15 October as its driver for 2027. Telegraaf noted that he made a strong impression during a TPC test with the team in August. Fanpage reported that he has been cleared to race at Las Vegas as well, but Telegraaf wrote that Haas has not yet announced that.

What remains open

Haas has not named a driver for the Las Vegas round or for the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Telegraaf suggested that reserve driver Jack Doohan could get a chance if Camara does not continue. Hirakawa is committed elsewhere, as Fanpage reported that he is due at Monza on Sunday, 8 November, for the final round of the World Endurance Championship. BBC reported that Ocon, who has started 198 grands prix and won one, looks set to lose his race seat for 2027 because the teams with possible vacancies, Racing Bulls and Cadillac, are said not to be interested in him.