Esteban Ocon will leave Haas at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season, the team has confirmed. The Frenchman joined the American outfit in 2025 and will depart after two seasons once the current campaign ends. The Esteban Ocon Haas exit brings a short, eventful chapter to a close.
Ocon has raced in Formula 1 since 2016, with spells at Manor and Force India before three years at Alpine, where he won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. That remains the standout result of his career, and it sits alongside steady, if unspectacular, campaigns at Haas.
Official statements and driver departure details
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised Ocon’s role in developing the team’s new car during a year of major regulation change. “Esteban’s professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation,” Komatsu said.
“Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban’s driving experience and inputs were significant as we’ve worked hard to develop the VF-26 across the season,” he added.
Ocon responded on social media and made clear his Formula 1 career is not finished. “This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career,” he wrote, adding: “I leave this project with my head held high and proud of my performances in what were not always the easiest of circumstances for various reasons and factors outside of my control.”
He stressed his focus remains on the job in hand for the rest of the season. “My immediate focus is the next race weekend. I will continue to work hard with the team, maximise every opportunity, and keep extracting every bit of performance from the car,” he said. “There are still many races to go this season and, as always, I will give it my everything behind the wheel for myself and for my team.”
He finished simply: “I am still motivated. I am still hungry.”
Head-to-head record and championship context
Oliver Bearman has generally had the upper hand inside the Haas garage during Ocon’s two seasons at the team. In 2025, Bearman finished 13th in the championship to Ocon’s 15th, separated by just three points, and won the qualifying battle 18-7.
The gap has grown in 2026. Bearman sits 13th in the championship, three places and 13 points clear of his teammate, according to the BBC Sport report on Ocon’s departure. A separate Motorsport.com reporting on Haas squad puts the margin at 16 points, with Bearman on 61 to Ocon’s 45. The exact figure varies by source, but the trend is the same: Bearman has had the better season.
Bearman has also had the edge in qualifying trim this year, leading that head-to-head battle 13-6 so far.
Remaining 2026 races and driver market outlook
The Esteban Ocon Haas exit now leaves Haas needing a replacement for 2027. Reports have already pointed to potential options for the Haas seat, though the team has made no announcement on who will take it.
Ocon’s own next move feeds into the wider free agency discussions in Formula 1 building for next season, though he has given no hint of where he might drive in 2027.
For now, Ocon says the focus stays on Haas rather than on what comes next. There are races still to run in 2026, and he has promised to give everything behind the wheel until the season ends.
