Ayao Komatsu has confirmed his Haas team is days away from confirming its 2027 driver line-up. The decision is expected to be bad news for Esteban Ocon, who is set to pay the price for being out-performed by junior team-mate Oliver Bearman for the second consecutive season.
Both drivers joined Haas in 2025, with Ocon expected to lead the team on track while British prodigy Bearman found his feet in the sport. But the rookie ended his first full season on the Formula 1 grid with three points more than Ocon, and Komatsu said over the winter that he was disappointed with the performance of his other driver.
Pressure mounts on Ocon
That put the pressure immediately on Ocon, which has only intensified as the season has progressed. Haas have been uncompetitive for much of the year, but started strongly and, while Bearman was able to take advantage, scoring 17 points across the first two race weekends, Ocon was not and the Frenchman has managed only three points over the rest of the season so far.
And now he is set to exit. He confirmed on media day at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that he is "a free agent" and that he has held talks with other teams about a 2027 opportunity. Speaking during the first hour of practice, Komatsu told Sky Sports: "I'd like to think we can make a decision soon, let's say by the end of this month. We're very close."
Haas evaluating options
Haas have been evaluating their options for many months. Reserve drivers Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa have completed multiple tests, as has former Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi who, like Hirakawa, is affiliated with Haas' technical partners Toyota. Last year's Formula 2 champion, Leonardo Fornaroli, has also been given time behind the wheel with his parent team McLaren keen to land him a place on next year's F1 grid.
But they are all set to miss out with Rafael Camara understood to be the option Haas are leaning towards. The Brazilian racer, 21, is a Ferrari academy driver like Bearman and is in the hunt for the F2 title this year, heading into the Baku race weekend just seven points behind current championship leader Nikola Tsolov.
Camara's feedback key
Whether or not he wins the title, though, will have no bearing on Camara's future. Driver feedback on the car has been a much larger factor as far as Haas are concerned, given the constraints they have compared to their rivals in terms of their smaller workforce and lack of funds – they remain the only team in F1 unable to spend up to the budget cap.
Asked what he looks for when assessing drivers, Komatsu explained: "First and foremost, you need the speed but also the quality of the feedback is really important. Also, you need to be a team player, especially for teams like us. We really rely a lot on our two driver to help us develop the direction. So, to be a team player, and the application, those are very important."
