Ocon on his future with Haas: “I’m definitely a free agent for next year”
Esteban Ocon has revealed that he is a “free agent for next year” as talks of a driver change at Haas catch fire. Still, Ocon wants to remain in Formula One.
There has been much speculation that a change is coming for the Haas outfit, and at the middle of that discourse is Ocon, who has been in F1 for 10 years. Within the decade, the Frenchman has one race win and three podium finishes to his name.
At Haas, it’s been a difficult season, one where Ocon has only scored three points after finishing in the top 10 in Japan and Monaco. Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, Ocon has admitted that there were still ongoing discussions at Haas. Still, he added that the team may also be exploring Ocon’s options in terms of remaining on the grid in 2027.
"At the moment I'm definitely a free agent for next year," Ocon told media on Wednesday in Baku.
"All these discussions, and there are some certain topics in the background that are out of my control at this moment. I'm focused on the track, trying to deliver the best I can and getting the result that this team deserves."
Why is Ocon the driver with the big question mark, though? Well, it seems that his teammate at Haas, Ollie Bearman, is pretty certain about his status remaining unchanged with the team. Although he is also not yet confirmed by Haas, Bearman said to media ahead of the Grand Prix that he is “prepared to stay with Haas next year.”
The Briton added that: "I think that's what will end up happening, and to be honest I think that's a good success because it would be the third year we're together.”
Bearman’s confidence stems from scoring 18 points for Haas this season and finishing fifth at the Chinese Grand Prix.
While Ocon may not be as confident as Bearman in terms of staying at Haas, he is certainly confident that F1 is the place for him. When asked if he had considered a future outside of the series, he replied: “No. Everything that we’re looking at is in F1.
"I'm 30 years old, raced 10 years in F1, but I've got a lot more to give to this sport. Having won one race and being a couple of times on the podium doesn't satisfy me.
"I've raced almost 200 races, which is a lot, but I'm not happy with what I've done and what I've achieved so far.
"When I see some of my colleagues that I've been racing with, they are all winning races, being on pole and that's where I want to be as well. I've got a lot more to give to this sport; I'm not looking at something else."
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