Esteban Ocon was unexpectedly benched mid-weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix and subsequently released from his contract by the Haas F1 Team. The decisive catalyst occurred during Friday evening at the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. Reports point to a severe verbal argument and a breakdown in communication between Ocon and Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu.
Following the disagreement after Friday practice, Haas immediately pulled Ocon out of the car for the remainder of the Mexican GP weekend, replacing him with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. While rumors initially circulated regarding a physical altercation, those specific reports were dismissed by the team.
The working relationship had already hit friction weeks prior. Ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Ocon publicly declared himself a free agent for 2027 without prior alignment with Haas, which was quickly followed by the team announcing he would leave at the end of the 2026 season. Following internal reviews after Mexico, Haas converted the initial suspension into a full mid-season termination prior to the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Team Principal Komatsu publicly cited taking action strictly "in the best interests of the team," while legal discussions surrounding a contractual breach kept specific details confidential. Haas maintains Ocon breached contract terms through his behavior, while Ocon's camp argues the team reacted unfairly. Ocon is exploring options across open F1 seats for future seasons as well as potential drives in top-tier endurance racing (WEC).
Brazilian rookie and Ferrari Academy driver Rafael Câmara was drafted in early to take over the seat alongside Ollie Bearman. Rafael Câmara was originally scheduled to join Haas as a full-time race driver for the 2027 season. Considering it is his debut F1 race weekend — Rafael made it through to Q2 and qualified 13th for his debut race, starting right behind drivers like Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton.
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