‘Don’t Write Me Off Yet’ – Ocon Confirms His Goal Is To Remain In F1 After Haas Exit

Esteban Ocon has explained that while he is leaving the Haas project "with my head high", his ultimate goal is to remain in Formula 1, even if that means accepting a temporary reserve driver role.

With the majority of 2027 seats already locked in—outside of Racing Bulls and Haas—Ocon recently confirmed he will depart the American squad once the current championship concludes.

Speaking ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the Frenchman emphasized that his ten-year F1 career, featuring a victory and three podiums, is far from over.

"You never know what can happen in F1," Ocon told the media. "Things change rapidly in this paddock, and new opportunities can emerge at any moment. That’s why I remain hopeful and focused exclusively on Formula 1.

"This is where I belong and where I deserve to race, and I fully intend to be here next season. The best argument I can make is driving well on track, so that’s where my energy goes. My goal is to extract maximum performance from the car, which we've managed to do at several recent events.

"Since Budapest, the car has felt far more consistent and healthy. Aside from Monza, where we struggled to find the right balance, we’ve essentially put together back-to-back points finishes.

"We’ve been doing solid work for a while now. It took time to translate into results, but now the progress is clear for everyone to see, and I intend to keep delivering."

Although team mate Ollie Bearman registered Haas's first points of the year, both drivers frequently reported handling inconsistencies that required extensive troubleshooting from the engineering team.

Behind-the-scenes adjustments, paired with clean execution, yielded a double top-10 finish in Baku, leaving Ocon proud of his contribution to accelerating Haas's development curve:

"I leave this project with my head held high," Ocon remarked. "I believe my contributions have been crucial for this team, particularly in identifying fundamental issues early on.

"We uncovered key problems early last year, which helped build healthier cars today. We are now seeing the rewards of those early diagnostics—such as our double-points finish last week and running two highly competitive cars in Madrid.

"We are starting to harvest the results of that hard labor. I am not looking back or offering excuses; I’m purely focused on what lies ahead and building on these strong results. Opportunities can always surface in F1 when you least expect them. Don't write me off yet."

When pressed on whether he would consider a third-driver slot for 2027, Ocon added: "At worst, yes. But my priority is racing—that’s where I deserve to be and where I want to be. I want a full-time seat, so we’ll see how options develop."

Ocon previously took a sabbatical as Mercedes' reserve driver in 2019 following spells at Manor and Force India, though his potential destination for a similar role remains unconfirmed.

Meanwhile, despite no official announcement regarding Bearman’s contract extension, the British youngster signalled his intention to remain at Haas for a third term and take on greater responsibility:

"Esteban has been a great team mate, and it’s a shame to see him leave, but I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him over our year and a half together," Bearman noted. "He is undeniably fast, but watching how he interacts with the team and drives development was equally insightful for me.

"Transitioning from F2—where you essentially follow instructions—to F1 means the team looks to you for direction, motivation, and technical feedback.

"It was my first time carrying that kind of weight, and Esteban was a great reference point. His pure speed speaks for itself.

"It's unfortunate to see him go, but I’m looking forward to stepping into a potential leadership role as the team’s most experienced driver. It's a great chance for me to continue evolving.

"My early races were held under unique circumstances, but comparing my current level to last year, I’ve made significant strides in how I communicate with engineers and get the most out of the team."