Finlay McSporran
Published: 11:24 30 September 2026
After lots of speculation the team confirmed they will be parting ways with the French driver. The only question now is who’s replacing him?
TGR Haas F1 Team has confirmed today that they will be parting ways with their driver Esteban Ocon at the end of this season.
The 30-year-old joined the team last year alongside rookie Oliver Bearman.
He scored 38 points that season, including a P5 in China, but ended the year behind his teammate in the standings.
Things haven’t got much better in 2026. The Frenchman currently sits 16th in the standings on just seven points, while Bearman is in 13th having scored 20 points.
That’s not to say he’s been driving particularly poorly. There hasn’t been too much between, with an average qualifying gap of just under two tenths in favour of Bearman.
But it’s clearly not enough to impress Haas, who may have been expecting more from him, given his 10 years experience in F1.
Since his debut in 2016, Ocon has competed in 195 Grand Prix, scored four podiums, and one race win. He still has eight races left with Haas this year (assuming the rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi go ahead).
Team Principal of Haas, Ayao Komatsu, said: “I’d like to thank Esteban for everything he’s contributed to the team since joining us in 2025.
“His professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organization.
“Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban’s driving experience and inputs were significant as we’ve worked hard to develop the VF-26 across the season.
“There’s still plenty of racing ahead, and our focus remains on working together to maximize every opportunity through to the final race of the year.”
An Obvious Replacement?
With Ocon’s departure now confirmed, the conversation now turns to his replacement, and there’s one clear favourite.
Brazilian driver Rafale Camara is in his first season of Formula 2, and leads the standings with two rounds to go (again assuming the middle-eastern race go ahead).
He’s aiming to win a third successive title, after winning the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024, and Formula 3 last year.
The 21-year-old is also a Ferrari junior driver, and with the Italian teams connection to Haas, this driver move seems almost guaranteed to happen.
However, if this move does indeed go ahead, it could create a little bit of tension within the team. Haas would have not one but two young Ferrari drivers, eager to prove why they should be the one to earn promotion to the Scuderia.
A good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.
That’s not to say Camara definitely will get the seat.
There’s plenty of other drivers in contention. Reserve drivers Jack Doohan with his F1 experience, and Ryo Hirakawa with his Toyota links are both plausible.
What about Leonardo Fornaroli, another back-to-back F2 and F3 champion? Or Yuki Tsunoda, who’s still a free agent after his stand in performances at Racing Bulls?
Haas made a big decision to part ways with Ocon. But they’ve now left themselves an even bigger one to make:
Who will replace Ocon?
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