Lewis Hamilton walked over to Esteban Ocon in the Austin paddock during the United States Grand Prix weekend, standing between the team trucks to talk about the end of his time at Haas.

Ocon described the moment to media, including RacingNews365, in the paddock at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

“Yeah, Lewis came to me in Austin. We chatted a little bit about the situation and how things went,” Ocon said.

Asked whether it was nice that the seven-time world champion, who now drives for Ferrari, had made the effort, he replied: “For sure. Yeah, definitely.”

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A short list of drivers who got in touch

Lance Stroll was the only driver who came to speak to him directly after the Haas news broke, Ocon told reporters at the Circuit of the Americas, including The Race.

“I talked to some of the guys in [my] private life, and Lance came to speak to me, for example, but I didn’t receive any message from anyone,” he said.

On his French compatriot and former Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, he was sharper: “Pierre didn’t text me. He’s supportive in the press.”

Ocon also brushed off the idea that he was looking for sympathy, saying it was “not the end” of his career.

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Camara in, Ocon out

Haas confirmed Camara’s signing on 15 October. The 21-year-old Brazilian, who leads this season’s Formula 2 standings, has signed a multi-year deal and is expected to partner Oliver Bearman in 2027, giving the American squad an all-Ferrari-junior line-up.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu said the Brazilian “showed us more than just raw speed” during a private test in Portugal. According to PlanetF1, the final choice came down to Camara and reserve driver Jack Doohan, with McLaren junior and reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli also in the mix.

Ocon has rejected the idea that his lap times were behind the choice, pointing to circumstances rather than performance across his two seasons with the team.

The 2027 fallback

If a race seat does not come, Ocon’s plan is to stay in Formula 1 as a test or reserve driver next year, with the aim of returning to the grid in 2028. He has ruled out moving to a different series.

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The first look at life outside the race seat comes on Friday. Ocon will sit out opening practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix as part of the sport’s rookie rotation rule, with Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa stepping into his Haas for FP1. The race starts at 2pm local time on Sunday.

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