Haas has officially announced that Esteban Ocon will not be driving for the team beyond the 2025 season, meaning he is unlikely to be on the Formula 1 starting grid in 2026.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu had initially signed Ocon for 2025, marking a significant step for Haas by fielding a Grand Prix winner in their cars. However, despite scoring points, Ocon was outperformed by his young teammate Ollie Bearman, leading the team to expect more from him.
At the start of the 2025 season, Bearman showed strong performances while Ocon struggled to find his rhythm. Given these underwhelming results, Haas explored other options, testing several young talents during sessions with cars from previous seasons.
Before the Baku Grand Prix, Komatsu informed Ocon of the decision not to renew his contract. The French driver, who wishes to remain in Formula 1, now faces limited opportunities as most teams have already finalized their 2026 driver line-ups.
A reserve driver role, notably with Mercedes, where he is part of the driver program, appears to be the most likely option for Ocon. He has previously held such a position in 2019 before returning to the grid in 2020.