Ocon and Haas part ways: Komatsu points to a lack of consistency

An expected announcement, with a hint of bitterness

Ocon moved first, posting a message in both French and English on social media. He said he was leaving with his head held high, proud of what he delivered in what he sees as a difficult context, and pointed to factors beyond his control. The wording is no accident: it suggests the VF-26 wasn't always kind on his side of the garage. Haas followed straight away with a measured statement in which Komatsu praised the Frenchman's professionalism and the value of his experience in developing the car under the new regulations.

The split had been brewing since early September. In Baku, Ocon had already described himself as a free agent for 2027, and we now know Komatsu had explained his decision to him before that weekend.

Komatsu praises the potential, not the consistency

Asked on Thursday what he meant by "performance", the Haas boss drew a clear line between a driver's ceiling and what he delivers across a full season. When everything comes together, Ocon is capable of remarkable things, he acknowledged. But when asked whether the Frenchman had reached that level often enough, the answer came down to a single word: no.

Beyond that, Komatsu carefully avoided going into detail, particularly on any commercial motives, to avoid fuelling rumours just hours before practice. The numbers, however, speak plainly: 7 points for Ocon this season against 20 for Oliver Bearman, and 16th in the standings. His already mixed 2025, which ended behind his young team-mate, had led Haas to consider Yuki Tsunoda for 2026, before Komatsu changed his mind and handed the Frenchman a second chance.

Bearman, Stroll and Gasly in his corner

The paddock isn't leaving Ocon on his own. Bearman admitted he is facing the same issues with the VF-26 that his team-mate had highlighted, which lends weight to the Frenchman's side of the story. Lance Stroll, a long-time friend, feels the sport has been unfair to him, and Pierre Gasly also stood up for his record.

A 2027 grid that's almost locked

That's where it hurts. The Haas seat was one of the very last available, and the clear favourite to take it is Rafael Câmara, a Ferrari junior who leads the Formula 2 championship. Komatsu also named Leonardo Fornaroli, Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan among the candidates, insisting performance would come before commercial considerations. The only other team with an opening, Racing Bulls, is expected to keep Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. In other words, the doors are closing.

At 30, the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner insists talks are ongoing and that he deserves his place on the grid. He has eight Grands Prix left to prove it, starting with Sepang, where tropical weather could give Haas a rare chance to shine.

Ocon has bounced back before. After being dropped by Alpine, he found a home with an engineer who had known him since his very first F1 test. This time, there's no exit door yet. It's up to him to turn these last eight races into a shop window, because in F1, a strong end to a season has saved more than one career.