Esteban Ocon could have raced in Formula 1 for the last time after being axed by Haas for reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Ocon’s contract with Haas expires at the end of the year and he will be replaced by Brazilian driver and current F2 championship leader Rafael Camara for the 2027 season.
However, Ocon, who won the 2021 Hungarian GP with Alpine, was expected to complete the rest of the 2026 campaign alongside Ollie Bearman.
Yet after appearing in second practice on Friday and getting embroiled in a row over tyres with race engineer Laura Muller, Haas released a statement on Saturday confirming that 31-year-old Japanese driver Hirakawa will take Ocon’s place for the rest of the weekend.
Haas did not reveal the specific reason for the change, but did acknowledge that Ocon wasn’t ill. Haas team members were busy at work on Saturday morning removing Ocon’s name and number from their hospitality unit.
When asked about the situation by Sky Sports F1 on Saturday, team principal Ayao Komatsu insisted he “could not go into details.”
There are four races remaining after Mexico, starting with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil next week. It has not yet been confirmed whether it will be Ocon, Hirakawa, Camara or even another reserve in Jack Doohan, who’ll take to the track at Interlagos.
Ocon, 30, is adamant that he does not think this year marks the end of his Formula 1 career, but his options are minimal for 2027.
Only Racing Bulls and Cadillac have not confirmed their roster for next year, but neither team are thought to be interested in the Frenchman.
Hirakawa, meanwhile, is a two-time winner of the World Endurance Championship with Toyota, who are Haas’ title sponsor and technical partner. He appeared in FP1 in a planned outing earlier on Friday.
Read MoreF1 Mexican Grand Prix LIVE: FP3 updates as Kimi Antonelli eyes pole with title in touching distance
George Russell offers defiant message after failed F1 title tilt: ‘This won’t break me’
Fernando Alonso launches scathing attack on ‘low-level’ F1 drivers
