Esteban Ocon criticized the procedure used by Formula 1 to define the grid for the second restart of the 2026 Dutch GP. The Haas driver stated that he should have started ahead of Alexander Albon after overtaking his opponent under a green flag.
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The maneuver happened shortly after the start, in a moment of confusion at Zandvoort, with Max Verstappen crashing and Gabriel Bortoleto spinning 360 degrees on a slightly wet track. Ocon accelerated more than Albon at the end of the yellow flag zone and took 13th position.
Albon did not approve of the maneuver and complained over the radio: “Sorry, but what Esteban did is crazy. He is overtaking me in the middle of the accident.”
Ocon, in turn, defended the decision and stated that he did not infringe any rules: “I overtook Alex, yes, but I had the right, because it was green,” said the Haas driver.
The position, however, was not maintained at the second start. The grid was defined based on the classification at the end of the first lap, which nullified Ocon’s gain. For the Frenchman, the system is outdated and makes drivers take risks that may not have practical consequences.
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“What was a great shame is that you have to take all these risks, you know?” Ocon added. “You are playing with the possibility of getting a penalty or not. I didn’t get a penalty, but it was by a very small margin, because I passed him when it was green. And then they put you back on the restart.
“It’s always been like this, but… Seriously, if it had been 20 meters earlier, I would have had the position. But we still raced for, like, one and a half sectors. The red flag only came after Turn 5, you know? So, we went through sector one and were entering sector two. So, I should have started ahead of Alex – because that changed my race.”
For Ocon, Formula 1 could use more recent timing data to establish the grid after a red flag. “Let’s not believe that in Formula 1 we don’t have timing loops every 20 meters, you know? It’s a very antiquated rule, actually,” he continued. “I said it on the radio: let’s not put Alex in front again on the restart. Because that shouldn’t be the case. And for some reason I felt they were going to put him in front again. They still use the finish line, which is two kilometers behind. It shouldn’t be like that, it should be the last moment.”
Ocon spent much of the race stuck behind Albon and brought forward his pit stop to lap 16 in search of clear track. He returned to 14th place and retired on lap 53 due to a power unit issue. The Frenchman also admitted that Haas could have made different strategic decisions.
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