Haas bench Ocon after Mexico row, handing Camara an early F1 debut in Brazil

Esteban Ocon’s troubled season with Haas is over after team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed the Frenchman will not return to the car for the remainder of 2026. Ferrari junior Rafa Camara, originally set to join the team next year, will instead make his Formula 1 debut at Interlagos this weekend before continuing in Las Vegas.

The decision follows what the team described as a heated argument between Ocon and Haas personnel during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend — the breaking point in what had become an increasingly strained relationship. Komatsu declined to detail the specifics, saying only that the conversations “remain an internal matter.”

“We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with TGR Haas F1 Team this season,” Komatsu said. “Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City — but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.”

Camara, a 20-year-old Brazilian and member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, had already been announced as Ocon’s permanent replacement for the 2027 campaign. His early call-up means he will race on home soil at Interlagos before heading to Las Vegas, giving him two grands prix of experience ahead of his full-time debut next season.

The remaining two races on the calendar — Qatar and Abu Dhabi — are set to be handled by Toyota protégé Ryo Hirakawa, who scored a point on his own debut in Mexico last weekend. Komatsu noted those appearances are contingent on both events proceeding as planned.

The split marks a swift and acrimonious end to Ocon’s time at Haas, having joined the team at the start of 2026 after his departure from Alpine. The team has offered no indication of whether any contractual settlement is involved.