Esteban Ocon will not race for Haas again this season, the team has confirmed, with Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Camara making his Formula 1 debut at this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Ocon Haas exit was confirmed ahead of the final leg of the triple header, with Camara stepping in to partner Ollie Bearman.
Ocon Haas exit follows Mexico removal
Ocon was dropped midway through the last round in Mexico City, with the American team not offering an explanation for the decision. Ryo Hirakawa replaced him from Saturday onwards and finished 10th on his F1 debut, scoring a point after post-race penalties for McLaren's Oscar Piastri and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.
Hirakawa is racing in the World Endurance Championship in Italy this weekend, which opened the route for Camara. Haas announced last month that Ocon would leave the team at the end of this season after two years with the American-owned squad.
Rafael Camara arrives earlier than planned
Camara, a Ferrari Academy driver, had already been announced to take Ocon's seat from the start of 2027. The Brazilian now becomes an F1 driver earlier than anticipated and will race at his home event alongside British driver Bearman.
Haas statement and Komatsu's response
Haas confirmed the change with a short statement:
TGR Haas F1 team can confirm that Esteban Ocon will no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 world championship.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu declined to answer questions about what had happened with Ocon when he appeared live on Sky Sports on the Saturday of the Mexico weekend, saying the issue remains an "internal matter".
Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City - but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.
The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations.
Looking ahead, we've chosen Rafael Camara to drive alongside Ollie Bearman at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
What is still unresolved
Haas have not confirmed who will drive alongside Bearman at the final three scheduled races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Hirakawa's WEC commitments mean the second seat is likely to be settled race by race, and the team has given no timeline for an announcement.
For context, earlier Sky Sports reporting said Ocon had denied any physical violence after being dropped in Mexico, and that he had been unhappy with the team's decision to run him on medium tyres during a Friday practice session.
The original report is by skysports.com.
