Ocon suspended — possible end to his Formula 1 career
The Haas team has suspended driver Esteban Ocon until the end of the season following a conflict in Mexico City. The Frenchman is hoping to secure a reserve driver seat for next year.
Haas has decided not to field Ocon for the remainder of the season after a conflict with team principal Ayao Komatsu that occurred following Friday’s practice session in Mexico City. The exact circumstances of the argument have not been disclosed, and lawyers have been brought in to investigate it.
During the session, Ocon objected to engineer Laura Müller when she changed the race simulation plan, opting for medium tires instead of soft ones. After the session, the dispute continued with Komatsu, and by Saturday morning, Haas announced Ocon’s suspension for the weekend. Later, Ocon stated that disagreements had arisen between the parties but denied reports of physical force being used.
On Tuesday, the team announced that Ocon would no longer race for them. Even before this, he was set to leave Haas at the end of the season, and securing a starting position on the grid next year was considered unlikely. Now, Ocon is considering a season as a reserve driver to preserve his chances of a return.
This is not the first time he has been left without a seat in Formula 1. In 2019, Ocon lost his cockpit at Force India after the team was purchased by Lawrence Stroll: the Canadian businessman placed his son, Lance, in the car. Mercedes, with whom Ocon had collaborated, initially took him on as a reserve driver but ultimately chose George Russell for their future primary lineup.
Ocon’s sole victory came at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine. At Haas, he was outperformed by his teammate Oliver Bearman over the course of two seasons; a similar situation had previously occurred with Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, and Daniel Ricciardo. The article notes that conflicts with teams and teammates may complicate the return of the 30-year-old driver.
