Esteban Ocon’s seat in Formula 1 may become available soon. According to former German driver Ralf Schumacher, the Frenchman is expected to leave Haas after the 2026 season. The analysis was made on the Boxengasse podcast by German Sky Sports and was based on Ocon’s underperformance compared to teammate Oliver Bearman.
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The Briton already has 17 points, while the Frenchman has only one. “One thing is certain: Ocon is not good enough. At best, he is equal to Bearman, and most of the time, he is worse,” said Schumacher.
The former driver also pointed out internal coexistence problems of the Frenchman within the teams he has been part of. “It’s hard to understand, because when you meet Esteban Ocon, he is an incredibly nice and eloquent guy. But he really seems to be difficult within the team. Especially when he is also slower. It was like that with Pierre Gasly at Alpine, and the same is happening now with Bearman at Haas,” he said.
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In Schumacher’s view, the driver’s departure is likely. “I can’t imagine we will still see Ocon next year. That’s practically certain, unless some team has a big problem,” he stated. He also said: “It’s not ruled out that they (Haas, ed.) already start looking for another driver this season.”
Haas may even need to overhaul the entire driver lineup, as Oliver Bearman is linked to Ferrari and is loaned to the team. Among the possible replacement names are Ryo Hirakawa, reserve driver supported by Toyota, and Jack Doohan, also a reserve for the team after a stint at Alpine.
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