Esteban Ocon's Formula One career may yet continue if a late vacancy opens up, with Cadillac emerging as a potential destination after Valtteri Bottas admitted he 'couldn't find the pace' in Singapore.
Ocon has been outperformed by junior team-mate Oliver Bearman over their two seasons at Haas, and has been told there will not be a third. His seat goes to Formula 2 title-contender Rafael Camara, while a contract extension for Bearman is believed to be a formality.
Career comeback history
Ocon is keen to continue in F1 and has bounced back before. He debuted in 2016 with Manor and joined Racing Point in 2017 after his first team folded. He spent 2019 as reserve at Mercedes after Renault signed Daniel Ricciardo, but returned alongside the Australian in 2020 and stayed through the team's transition into Alpine before joining Haas for 2025.
Now without a drive for 2027, race seats are thin. The top four teams have unchanged line-ups, while Williams, Alpine and Aston Martin have confirmed their drivers are staying. Fernando Alonso's decision not to retire closed off a possible landing spot at Aston Martin.
Remaining options
Audi have not made official announcements, but boss Mattia Binotto has said both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have deals for 2027. Racing Bulls, a proving ground for Red Bull prospects, would not be an option for Ocon, who remains affiliated with Mercedes, even with F2 title contender Nikola Tsolov set for a reserve role.
That leaves Cadillac. F1's newest team has said publicly it has no plans to change its driver line-up, but it also sacked Graeme Lowdon, the man who built the team, halfway through its debut season.
Bottas struggles
Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner, was close to being lapped by team-mate Sergio Perez in Singapore. Asked about his alarming drop in race pace, he said: "That's the million dollar question. I couldn't find the pace. I don't know, honestly. Throughout, just a big lack of pace. The only thing I could say for now would be the car felt really poor."
Cadillac are the slowest team on the grid, understandable for a new outfit, but the growing gap in race pace between their drivers may prompt a change. If Dan Towriss decides a new approach is needed, Ocon could be the experienced replacement installed in Bottas's place.
