Ocon Rejects Rumours of Haas Split: “The Stories Have Been Fabricated”

Esteban Ocon has denied rumours from the Miami Grand Prix suggesting he could split with Haas mid-season and that a rift had developed with the team, saying “the stories have been fabricated”.

The Frenchman, speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, dismissed speculation that had been circulating regarding an alleged falling out with Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, which was reportedly set to lead to an early departure from the team.

“The stories have been fabricated with no foundation. There were no real sources in there. I’ve joined this team because of Ayao, because I’ve known him for so long,” said Ocon.

“He’s been my first race engineer in F1 and he’s going to set the record straight later in the media. There was no dispute in Miami but when I read the article that kicked it all off, they call him Ryo Komatsu, so I as soon as I read that I stopped reading.”

Ocon has endured a challenging start to the 2026 season, having been outperformed by teammate Ollie Bearman, who has scored 17 points and sits eighth in the championship compared to the Frenchman’s single point scored in Japan.

The F1 race winner also emphasised the negative impact the rumours had on his preparations ahead of Canada.

“At the end of the day, I’m human, so when it escalates so much and when there is so much going on it effects my sponsors, my family, it effects everyone that is around me,” he stressed.

“It’s not normal that you can fabricate stories like this and just get away with not having any problems for yourself. You can’t just lie about things.

“I’ve never faced that in F1 before. The important thing is the job we are doing inside the team and as long as Ayao is happy with that, and seeing that I’m putting the work in, and that we will deliver the result when they come, that’s the most important.”

Despite signing a multi-year agreement with Haas in 2025, it is believed Ocon’s contract will expire at the end of this season. Bearman, meanwhile, who many view as a potential future Ferrari driver should a seat become available, remains contracted with Haas through to 2027.

Even in his rookie campaign, Bearman outperformed Ocon across the 24-race season, not only finishing ahead of his vastly more experienced race-winning teammate in the standings, but also winning their qualifying head-to-head 14-10.

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Written by

Jawad Yaqub

An eCommerce Specialist by day and reporting on F1 by night. Jawad is passionate about motorsport, having provided accredited F1 coverage for more than a decade and is a member of the AIPS (International Sports Press Association). Live blogging (almost) every grand prix too since 2014, as well as articles on the Supercars Championship. Also keen on sustainability, photography, collecting vinyl, (trying to) expertly barbeque and learning to Dad.

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