The future of Esteban Ocon in Formula 1 has been called into question by Guenther Steiner, former Haas boss. The ex-executive believes that the Frenchman is at serious risk of losing his place in the team at the end of the current season if he does not manage a significant turnaround in his performance.
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The assessment was made after the Canadian GP, where Ocon finished only in 14th position. For Steiner, the recent results are insufficient and may compromise the driver’s continuity in the North American team’s project.
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, the former executive was direct in commenting on the situation: “I think he’s out at the end of the year. He won’t be back next year. How many laps did he finish behind? Two laps, three laps?” he questioned.
When asked if Ocon could still reverse the scenario within Haas, Steiner maintained his position: “If he doesn’t change something drastically, he won’t be there next year,” he said.
These statements come amid recent rumors that the Frenchman is facing internal difficulties within the team. During the Canadian GP weekend, however, Haas categorically rejected speculation of an alleged disagreement between Ocon and the team principal, Ayao Komatsu.
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Questioned about the matter in Montreal, Komatsu showed irritation with the rumors: “Honestly, I don’t know where this story came from. It has no basis. It’s complete nonsense,” he said. The executive also criticized the dissemination of the information and questioned the credibility of the allegations.
Komatsu also denied any previous friction between him and the French driver: “I spoke with him this morning, but there is nothing to defend on our side. It’s incredible. They say I had some problem with Esteban in Miami, but where did that come from? I didn’t even have a single argument with Esteban in Miami,” he concluded.
Ocon joined Haas in 2025 to form a duo with Oliver Bearman. Last season, the two finished close in the final standings, with Bearman scoring 41 points against 38 for his teammate. In 2026, however, the gap has increased considerably, as the Briton has already scored 18 points in the first five rounds, while Ocon has scored only one point so far.
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