Ocon insists he deserves an F1 seat as Haas confirms Camara for 2027

Esteban Ocon has accepted that his Haas replacement Rafael Camara merits a place in Formula 1, but insisted ahead of the United States Grand Prix that he himself does not deserve to be left without a drive for 2027.

Camara’s signing was confirmed last week, with the Brazilian stepping up from Formula 2 — where he currently leads the championship — as a Ferrari junior. Oliver Bearman is expected to remain at Haas alongside him, though his deal has yet to be officially announced. With the 2027 grid taking shape and no realistic vacancies remaining, Ocon’s most likely route to staying involved in the sport appears to be a reserve role rather than a full race seat.

“Rafa deserves a shot in F1. I think he’s shown in the categories that he’s very good,” Ocon said in Austin. “But I don’t deserve to be out of F1 at the same time. That’s it. I’m coming here to do the best job I can, trying to exploit the maximum out of the car.”

The 30-year-old was emphatic that his performances were not behind Haas’s decision not to extend his contract, though he declined to elaborate on the specific reasons. “I’ve won everything in every category — go-karts, Formula Renault, Formula 3, GP3, F1. In all these categories I’ve won races. Just thinking from a sports perspective, I deserve to be in F1. I believe that this is not my last year in F1.”

For now, Ocon’s attention is on finishing his Haas tenure strongly. The team sits seventh in the constructors’ championship, seven points ahead of Audi, and he is focused on protecting that position through the remaining rounds.

On the subject of support from fellow drivers following his seat loss, Ocon was candid. Lance Stroll approached him in person, he said, but private messages from the wider grid had not materialised despite some public backing. “They haven’t texted me — supportive in the press. It’s fine. It’s not the end anyway. I’m not calling for any support from any drivers or whatever. That’s not what I need.”

He reflected on the precarious nature of life in Formula 1 more broadly. “If you don’t perform for three races, you are the worst. If you perform in three good races, you are the best. So, that’s the difficulty of the sport.”