Esteban Ocon defiant as F1 future with Haas hangs in the balance: “I’m one of the best out there”
Esteban Ocon makes a defiant statement as his F1 future with Haas remains uncertain.
Esteban Ocon insists he is “one of the best out there” as his Formula 1 future hangs in the balance amid doubts over his Haas seat.
The Frenchman is out of contract with Haas at the end of the season and speculation surrounding his future has only increased, with Ocon seemingly set to lose his seat for 2027.
Ocon declared he was “definitely a free agent for next year” ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Formula 2 frontrunner and Ferrari junior Rafael Camara believed to be the favourite to replace him.
It has been a tough 2026 season for Ocon, who has largely been outperformed by team-mate Ollie Bearman, but the 30-year-old bounced back in style by finishing eighth in Saturday’s race in Baku.
The result marked Ocon’s best finish of the campaign, and was the first time he had scored points since the Monaco Grand Prix back in June, leaving him in a defiant mood.
"I can say, 'I deserve that', not all the rest of the shit,” Ocon told reporters in Baku after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
"I've raced with everyone out there, and I've always been on par," Ocon stated. "I've won in every championship that I've raced in. I won races in Formula Renault. I won championships in go-karts. I won Formula 3. I won GP3.
"I was racing in the top 10 in DTM for half the season. I've won in Formula 1. I can do it. I’m one of the best out there, and I'm not afraid to say it.”
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu stressed that no decision has been made yet regarding Ocon’s future as he revealed a timeline for the American squad to make a call over its 2027 driver line-up.
"We haven't made any decision yet but every driver has a closing point in the year to decide on options," Komatsu said. "[It] just means we haven't decided on that option yet, but that was quite a long time ago. His situation hasn't really changed, we're still trying to find what we're going to do for next year.”
When asked when a decision would be made, Komatsu replied: "Soon, within the next couple of weeks. We've done all the evaluation, we're just waiting to summarise our findings, have a discussion internally with Gene [Haas] and make the final decision."
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
