Haas announced that Esteban Ocon will leave the team at the end of the season. The 30-year-old driver confirmed his departure in a statement issued on September 30, 2026.

He joined Haas in 2025 and has scored seven points so far this year. His teammate Oliver Bearman currently sits 13th in the championship on 20 points, three places and 13 points ahead of the French driver. Bearman has out-qualified Ocon 13-6 this year with an average advantage of 0.144 seconds.

In the previous season, Bearman finished 13th and Ocon finished 15th, separated by three points. Bearman also out-qualified his teammate 18-7 last year with an average advantage of 0.175 seconds.

Ocon stated: "This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career." He added that he considers himself a free agent for the next season and that discussions with other teams are taking place regarding his future. "I am still motivated. I am still hungry," he said. He noted that certain topics regarding his future are out of his control and that he will keep pushing until the end of the year.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged Ocon's contribution to the team's development efforts. "Esteban's professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation," Komatsu said. Komatsu added that the team faced technical challenges during the current campaign. "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 said.

He expressed pride in his work despite the circumstances surrounding his exit. "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 stated. The driver emphasized his commitment to finishing the current campaign strongly.

"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. He further stated: "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 recently finished eighth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was his third top-ten finish of the season. That result ended a points drought for him stretching back to the Monaco Grand Prix in June. He had qualified 14th at the Azerbaijan event after a yellow flag compromised his session.

Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve offered a perspective on his tenure and future prospects. "He's made his decision. It's not just how quick he is, it's also how it flows inside the team. There's Camara that's doing well and will maybe be looking for a seat. He has done his time. He's been there for a long, long time. You can't feel sorry for him. You should be happy for him. He's had a long, long career with very little results, ultimately," Villeneuve stated.

Rafael Camara is viewed as a likely successor to Ocon at Haas. Camara is 21 years old and comes from Ferrari's junior programme. He currently leads the Formula 2 standings. Bearman is also 21 years old and is contracted to remain at Haas until at least the end of the 2027 season. Bearman substituted for Carlos Sainz Jr. in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and for Kevin Magnussen in the 2024 Azerbaijan and São Paulo Grands Prix, becoming the youngest-ever Ferrari F1 driver. Haas considered Yuki Tsunoda as a potential 2026 driver before ultimately retaining him during regulatory changes, according to reports.

He made his Formula 1 debut in 2016 with Manor. He has also driven for Force India and Alpine. He was a reserve driver for Mercedes in 2019 before returning as a full-time driver with Renault in 2020.

He won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix driving for Alpine. He left Alpine after the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, marking the end of his tenure with the team following that victory. He has recorded just one race win and has never finished above eighth in the Drivers' Championship in his 10 years in Formula 1. He scored 38 points in his first season with Haas.

Why It Matters

The departure of Esteban Ocon marks a roster change for Haas as the team navigates a period of regulatory adjustment. His exit after two seasons shows the competitive pressure within the midfield, where teammate performance metrics such as qualifying advantages and championship points serve as key indicators for driver retention.

With Oliver Bearman secured through 2027 and Rafael Camara emerging as a potential replacement from the Ferrari junior programme, Haas faces a strategic decision regarding its second seat. His status as a free agent and his ongoing discussions with other teams reflect the broader market dynamics affecting experienced drivers who have not secured recent podiums or high championship finishes.

Timeline

He made his Formula 1 debut in 2016 with Manor on March 20, 2016. He joined Haas in 2025 on January 1, 2025.

On December 7, 2025, in the previous season, Bearman finished 13th and he finished 15th, separated by three points. Also on December 7, 2025, in the previous season, Bearman out-qualified him 18-7 with an average advantage of 0.175 seconds. On that same date, he scored 38 points in his first season with Haas.

On September 30, 2026, he announced his departure from Haas at the end of the 2026 season in a statement on social media on September 30, 2026, according to the official record. Later that day, Haas confirmed he will leave the team at the end of the 2026 F1 season, as stated in a team statement released on September 30, 2026, according to the official record.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms he announced his departure from Haas at the end of the 2026 season in a statement on social media on September 30, 2026, according to the official record.

Further details indicate he confirmed he will leave Haas at the end of the 2026 season, as stated in a social media post on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, according to the official record. Haas confirmed he will leave the team at the end of the 2026 season in a statement issued on September 30, 2026, according to the official record.

It was also stated in a team statement released on September 30, 2026, that Haas confirmed he will leave the team at the end of the 2026 F1 season, according to the official record. He stated: "There are things in discussion that are out of my control. Certain topics are out of my control. So, I will keep pushing until the end of the year and see how it goes."

In additional comments, he stated: "I consider myself one of the best drivers in the field." Records show that Bearman is contracted to remain at Haas until at least the end of the 2027 season, per his Wikipedia page.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the team principal statement on departure, Komatsu stated: Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where his driving experience and inputs were significant as we've worked hard to develop the VF-26 across the season. The Haas F1 Team official statement simply announced he will leave the team at the end of the season.

On driver performance context, the FIA Formula 1 World Championship standings note he scored 38 points in his first season with Haas. The Haas F1 Team official statement announced he will leave the team at the end of the season without citing specific point totals in the announcement text.