Haas has dropped Esteban Ocon for the rest of the 2026 season and will replace him with Ferrari driver Rafael Camara, following an alleged major falling out between the Frenchman and team principal Ayao Komatsu. The announcement came on Tuesday night, confirming Ocon would not race for the team again this year, despite it already being known he had no seat for 2027.
Camara will partner Ollie Bearman at this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, stepping in for Ocon before taking the seat full-time next year. The move follows Ocon's earlier removal at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he was replaced by Ryo Hirakawa just hours before qualifying, despite taking part in Friday's practice session.
Ocon's removal and team statement
Hirakawa scored a point on his F1 debut in Ocon's seat, as the team removed all branding, logos and his image from the team garage. Haas then issued a statement confirming Ocon would no longer drive for the remaining four race weekends, saying: "TGR Haas F1 Team can confirm that Esteban Ocon will no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."
The statement added: "Rafael Camara will now partner Ollie Bearman in the team at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Rafael will make his Formula 1 debut on home-soil this year having last month been announced as one of TGR Haas F1 Team's full-time driver signings for the 2027 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."
Komatsu explains the decision
Ocon, 30, was already set to leave at the end of the season after it was established he would not sign a new contract with the North Carolina-based outfit. Komatsu shed light on the reasoning behind the call, saying: "Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City - but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward."
He added: "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." Komatsu also refused to comment on Ocon's axing in Mexico, after the Frenchman had a dispute with his race engineer Laura Mueller during Friday's second practice session about tyre strategy and practice programmes.
Alleged altercation and Ocon's denial
Mueller told Ocon they would switch his current soft tyre programme to use medium tyres on his race-simulation run because team-mate Bearman's soft tyre run was "not great". Ocon was told "we have to do medium" when he asked for clarity, replying: "No, no. I wanted the soft. Don't do that to me. Come on." As he was wheeled back into the garage, he said: "It is my turn this weekend come on."
Later that evening, a team meeting reportedly became heated. According to BILD, Ocon allegedly wanted to apologise and sought a meeting with Komatsu in his office on Saturday, but the Japanese boss reportedly told him he had no interest in a discussion. Ocon replied that he would not leave until he had spoken with Komatsu, and when Komatsu attempted to leave, Ocon allegedly became physical and grabbed him by the shoulder.
Ocon firmly denied that happened, saying in a statement on social media that "a difference in viewpoints led to a discussion with the parties involved", but he "categorically rejected any reports or allegations suggesting that any form of physical violence was used to resolve any differences of any nature."
Ocon is yet to respond to Haas' decision to replace him for the rest of the season. The former Alpine driver does not yet have a seat on the grid for 2027 and could be without a drive for the first time since 2019.
