Esteban Ocon has admitted he is a “free agent” for 2027, all but confirming Haas will swing the axe on the Frenchman at the end of the season.
Ferrari protégé and reigning Formula 3 champion Rafael Câmara is widely tipped to replace him, though no decision has yet been made on who will partner the incumbent Oliver Bearman.
Ocon joined Haas last season after his relationship with the Alpine team broke down in 2024 after five seasons together.
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Signed as a senior driver alongside rookie Bearman, the French veteran was gradually overpowered by the Englishman and ended the season behind on every major performance metric.
Team boss Ayao Komatsu admitted during the off-season that he had expected more from Ocon, putting his seat immediately under the spotlight ahead of what had been tipped to be a frenetic silly season, with as many as 17 drivers out of contract.
But Ocon has failed to rise to the occasion, with Bearman continuing to widen the gap between the two teammates.
Though almost every seat has since been accounted for without change, Haas has remained conspicuously silent on its 2027 line-up.
The American-owned team meanwhile has been fielding several candidates for Ocon’s seat in private testing with last year’s car.
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Câmara, currently a close second in the Formula 2 championship, is widely reported to have been the most impressive, but the shortlist further comprises McLaren reserve and reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli; Toyota-backed Le Mans winner and Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa; and Alpine refugee Jack Doohan, son of Australian motorcycle legend Mick Doohan, who completed his test last week.
Yuki Tsunoda was also believed to have been in the frame earlier this year but has since appeared to have dropped out of contention.
With Bearman on loan from Ferrari and all but certain to continue, focus has sharpened on Ocon’s place at the team.
Though he has rebuffed speculation about his future in recent months, Ocon all but confirmed in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix paddock that he was looking for work for 2027.
“At the moment I’m definitely a free agent for next year,” he said, per Racer. “There are things in discussion that are out of my control.
“There are certain topics that are out of my control, so I will keep pushing until the end of the year and see how it goes.”
Esteban Ocon vs. Oliver Bearman
Qualifying head to head: Bearman leads 9-4
Qualifying differential: Bearman ahead 0.4 places
Qualifying time differential: Bearman faster by 0.221s
Race head to head: Bearman leads 8-2
Race differential: Bearman ahead 1.8 places
Race time differential: Bearman ahead 17.3s
Points: Bearman leads 18-3 (86-14 per cent)
Though he said he was talking to other teams, he was noncommittal when asked whether there was still a chance he could continue with Haas next season.
He was adamant, however, that he would seek a place in Formula 1 for next season.
“Everything that we’re looking at is in F1,” he said.
“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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OPTIONS SHRINK AS HADJAR INKS NEW DEAL
But Ocon is desperately unlikely to find a seat on next year’s grid, with all but two teams fully subscribed after Isack Hadjar re-signed with Red Bull Racing for 2027.
Hadjar, who will return to competition this weekend after skipping the last three rounds with a fractured wrist, said he was looking forward to continuing his steep trajectory just two years into his Formula 1 career.
“From the moment I signed, I set out to dedicate myself to the team, and with the support of Laurent [Mekies, team principal] and everyone in Milton Keynes, I’ve been able to justify the faith they’ve had in me.
“I’m constantly looking to listen, learn and push myself further every single day, which only makes me more excited about what lies ahead.”
Mekies said offering Hadjar a new deal was “an easy decision”.
“From the very beginning, Isack immersed himself in the team, spending every minute at the factory with his engineers to develop the car, always eager to learn and improve,” he said.
“You could see from that first weekend in Melbourne that he handled the step up with remarkable composure and had earned his place in this seat.
“The period since his injury has been a difficult one for Isack, but this extension is a testament to how much we believe in him, and we can’t wait to see him back out on track.
We still have a lot we want to achieve this season, but it’s a great feeling to know that the drivers, engineers and everyone back at the factory are all heading in the same direction, committed and together.”
Though there are three teams other than Haas with seats still available next season, none is expected to have space for Ocon.
Both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are out of contract at Racing Bulls.
Though the team is tipped to keep both drivers in place, complicating the decision is Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov, who is leading the Formula 2 championship by seven points with three rounds remaining. The Bulgarian has impressed this year and will be barred from entering the series again if he wins the title this year.
Lawson has said to expect an announcement in “the next few races”.
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Fernando Alonso is up for renewal at Aston Martin but is widely believed to be set to race for another season, though his possible retirement appears to be being used as leverage to push for further regulation changes in 2027.
Audi has also yet to formally confirm its 2027 line-up, but both Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg will remain at the team next year.
Despite contracts being in place, ESPN has reported that Cadillac and Valtteri Bottas could yet part ways at the end of the season but that, if so, it will be because the team is determined to shoehorn IndyCar winner Colton Herta into the seat, leaving Ocon’s chances there uncertain.
Ocon’s best bet instead appears to be accepting a reserve role in the hope of finding a place in 2028.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Frenchman has been forced onto the sidelines.
He was dumped from the Racing Point team — now known as Aston Martin — at the end of 2018 after the former Force India squad collapsed and was purchased by Lawrence Stroll.
Stroll dumped the Frenchman in favour of his son, Lance Stroll, who has raced for the Silverstone, UK, team ever since.
Ocon spent 2019 as a Mercedes reserve driver, having been backed by the team’s junior driver program since 2015, and is still managed by the German brand despite having raced for rival manufacturers.
Mercedes currently counts Frederik Vesti as its reserve driver, though the Dane has not raced in single-seaters since 2023 and has instead switched focus to sports car racing.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026 schedule (AEST)
Thursday: FP1 at 6:30pm, FP2 at 10pm.
Friday: FP3 at 6:30pm, qualifying at 10pm.
Saturday: Race at 9pm.