Haas has dropped Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Rafa Camara set to drive for the team at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. The team confirmed Camara for Brazil but has not announced its plans for the races that follow.
The decision follows a confrontation between Ocon and team principal Ayao Komatsu during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend. Ocon was benched after the incident, and Ryo Hirakawa took his place for the remainder of that event.
Haas had already chosen to replace Ocon with Camara for 2027, but the move has now come sooner than planned. Komatsu said the team had told Ocon he would not return to its race seat this season, adding that the decision was made in the team’s interests. He declined to discuss the conversations between the team and Ocon, describing them as an internal matter.
Tension had also surfaced over the team radio during Mexico’s second practice session. Ocon questioned the plan for his longer high-fuel run to use medium tyres rather than softs. The report says the disagreement came amid frustration over Haas’s performance and Ocon’s impending departure.
Ocon has denied that the Friday confrontation involved physical violence. Haas has not commented on what happened. After the incident, Hirakawa was called in early on Saturday to complete the Mexico weekend, where he scored a point following penalties for drivers ahead.
Sources: The Race.