The end of Esteban Ocon’s F1 career? Details emerge about 'big row' at Haas

Fresh details have emerged about the “big row” that allegedly led to Esteban Ocon being dropped by the Haas Formula 1 team at the Mexico City Grand Prix. 

Ocon was suddenly stood down from the remainder of the Mexico weekend by Haas and replaced by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa without explanation on Saturday. 

The decision came after Ocon had a dispute with race engineer Laura Mueller about tyre choice during second practice on Friday. 

A report by French newspaper L’Equipe claimed that a meeting between Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu and Ocon  “ended abruptly, perhaps even physically”.

This was firmly denied by Ocon as he broke his silence with a statement on social media on Saturday evening. 

Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz reported that a “big row” had taken place between the pair following Friday practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. 

“What happened with Esteban Ocon and the team?” Kravitz said on his Ted’s Notebook show on Sky Sports F1 after qualifying. 

“It all stems from the free practice two radio message that we heard when Laura Mueller, Esteban’s engineer, said ‘come in we want to do a long run on the medium tyre’. Esteban said ‘no I really want to do them on the soft, what are you doing to me?’

“So back story of that, Esteban is on the market, he’s not here next year. He wants to show that he’s got the best pace possible for the one seat that is up, which is Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac seat, even though Cadillac has told us that Ocon is not in contention for that drive.

“We understand that he went to see the team boss Ayao Komatsu and there was some kind of row. They had a big row and essentially Haas have sacked him. We don’t know any more details.

“All we know that logically, he got into an argument with Haas and Haas have sacked him, or benched him. It’s gone legal, Ayao Komatsu can’t say anything but that’s the situation.”

Haas has only confirmed that Ocon has been benched for this weekend but the move has raised doubts about whether he will drive for the team again this season. 

It has been suggested that Formula 2 championship leader and Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, who Haas signed to replace Ocon for 2027, could make an early F1 debut in Brazil next weekend. 

“I’m afraid to say, this looks like it might be the end of Esteban Ocon’s Formula 1 career, because I don’t think they are going to want him back, especially after what happened. It looks like they are going to want Rafael Camara,” Kravitz concluded.