Esteban Ocon axing ‘surprised everybody at Haas’

Ayao Komatsu says “everybody was surprised” when he told the Haas squad that Esteban Ocon wouldn’t compete for the outfit in Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Ocon was dropped by Haas after a falling-out following Friday practice at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Despite widespread speculation, what actually occurred remains unknown – other than a disagreement with race engineer Laura Mueller over run plans in FP2, which was broadcast over team radio.

Ocon was replaced by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who had driven in FP1, for the remainder of the Mexican weekend and won’t return to the cockpit this season. This weekend at the Brazilian GP, Haas 2027 recruit Rafael Camara is making his F1 debut alongside regular Oliver Bearman.

“On Saturday morning when I had to tell the boys and girls here, ‘Esteban's not driving anymore, Ryo is in the car’, of course everybody was surprised,” team principal Komatsu said.

“Like I said to them, normally, inside the team especially I want to be as transparent as possible, as informed, so that you understand the context. But I cannot really say much more.”

Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Komatsu was adamant he couldn’t delve into details regarding the Ocon situation but admitted to learning about how to handle drivers during his time working with the Frenchman.

“Every day is a learning,” he said. “Seriously, every day you are faced with something new; you're always learning, always. Of course, it's almost two years working with Esteban; it's taught me a lot. So, it's a continuous learning experience.”

Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman has found himself in the role of a lead driver, with rookies alongside him at Haas, though he clarified his mindset “hasn’t changed”.

“Of course it's strange not having Esteban here, and it's obviously a challenging situation for everybody,” Bearman added. “I really do feel for him. Of course the situation is complicated, and things have changed.

“I just hope that it doesn't cause disruption. At least last week I wouldn't say that it caused any disruption at all. If anything it's a positive now that we have Rafa in the car for these events, and that is also preparing us as a team for next year.”

So what is Bearman expecting as he teams up with F2’s current championship leader?

“Honestly, I'm excited to have a team-mate that's going to push me really hard,” he said. “Of course, I've had that across the years, Esteban pushed me hard. But Rafa is also going to be a very strong competitor.

“For us as competitive people, as racing drivers, you want someone that pushes you to the next level, and that's the best way to get the most out of the team, for sure.”

Additional reporting by Jake Boxall-Legge and Filip Cleeren