Esteban Ocon used his first media session since Haas confirmed his exit to make clear he does not accept the decision as fair.
“I deserve to be here. I put the hard work [in].”
The 30-year-old Frenchman spoke in the Sepang paddock on Thursday, a day after the American team announced his two-year spell will not continue into 2027.
“I don’t think I deserve to have this for the future.”
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Ocon points to Baku and Madrid
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu set out the split on Wednesday, thanking Ocon for his “professionalism and commitment” since he joined from Alpine in 2025. Ocon kept his own goodbye cordial on social media, saying he would leave the project “with my head held high and proud of my performances”.
The paddock version a day later was sharper. Ocon pointed to recent weekends in Baku and Madrid as evidence he can still deliver, and argued that car reliability problems had framed his two seasons at Haas more than his own driving.
“It is frustrating because it’s not really the way it should be.”
Camara the leading candidate for 2027
The second Haas seat alongside Oliver Bearman is widely expected to go to Ferrari Formula 2 points leader Rafael Camara, with the team working through its 2027 driver call in the coming weeks. Ocon said he is still trying to find a race drive but is prepared for a reserve role if nothing opens up.
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“My focus is on Formula 1. That is clear, that’s where I belong, that’s where I want to be.”
“You never know what can happen in Formula 1. Things move every two seconds.”
Ocon has been off the grid before. Dropped by Force India at the end of 2018, he spent a season on the sidelines before returning with Renault in 2020, and he said he wants to avoid repeating that gap.
“It’s not a 2019 yet. I don’t want to feel 2019 again.”
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“There can be opportunities to come, don’t write me off yet.”
The Frenchman has one grand prix win to his name, the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine. He races at Sepang on Sunday 4 October, with Komatsu saying publicly he wants the 2027 line-up finalised in a matter of weeks.
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