Guenther Steiner has already decided how Esteban Ocon’s Haas story ends.
“I don’t think he has got a future there. I think that’s his last year there,” the former team principal said on The Red Flags Podcast ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“The difference is so big. I think it’s the biggest difference between team-mates now in the championship.”
The numbers agree. Ocon has three points across the opening 10 rounds, 15 behind rookie teammate Oliver Bearman, with his only scoring finishes coming in Japan and Monaco.
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Speaking to reporters in Budapest before the summer break, Ocon offered nothing on his future.
“Of course nothing to announce yet,” he said. “The summer break will be quite busy. We will see.” His current deal expires at the end of the season.
Fornaroli and Camara on the shortlist
Team principal Ayao Komatsu has set out the standard he is using.
“All we want is drivers who can produce maximum results for us,” he told Autosport this month. “We choose the driver by performance, 100%.”
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McLaren junior Leonardo Fornaroli, who tested a Haas car earlier this year, is scheduled to run FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
Ferrari Academy member Rafael Camara, the reigning F3 champion and currently third in F2, is the other contender in the mix.
Why Steiner rules Tsunoda out
Yuki Tsunoda is the third name in the frame, and Steiner is against him on sponsor grounds. Toyota Gazoo Racing became Haas’s title partner for 2026, and the team now races as TGR Haas.
“Yuki will be difficult because of his connection with Honda. He’s clearly a Honda guy,” Steiner said. “I don’t think he will jump ship to Toyota. I would say Camara.”
Steiner’s read is an outside opinion, not a Haas position.
Ocon has the second half of the season to change Komatsu’s mind.
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