Haas has announced Esteban Ocon will switch to the team next season on a multi-term agreement in a move which is a suitable one based on the parties’ situations.
Ocon was long expected to be announced as a Haas driver ever since it was revealed that his long-term relationship with Alpine would not extend past this campaign.
The Frenchman has held a partnership with the Enstone-based squad since 2016 and has been involved full-time since 2020, but without the progress either desired.
Despite a memorable win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix coming among three podiums, Alpine has been unable to utilise its works status to challenge the F1 elite.
The nascent stages this term saw Alpine slump to its lowest point since Renault’s return to the sport in 2016 as it entered the opening event with the slowest package.
Such a catastrophic start led to Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aero Dirk de Beer resigning, while long-standing consultant Bob Bell later also departed.
Alpine’s plight can be epitomised by the choice to revert to the past in a desperate bid to prop up the F1 order with Flavio Briatore being appointed Executive Advisor.
Briatore is known to be the driving force behind Alpine’s probable switch to customer Mercedes power units as it has reached a breaking point with the Renault setup.
However, a Mercedes-managed driver in Ocon will not be present once Alpine’s budding partnership with the marque begins as he switches to Ferrari-powered Haas.
The writing had been on the wall since Ocon instigated a contentious collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco which led to reports that he could get benched.
Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin, who will be the next to step aside, was incensed with the action which saw Ocon retire and nearly compromised Gasly’s chances.
That collision brought into the limelight Ocon’s dubious record with team-mates, having been involved in previous flashpoints with Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso.
With Haas bringing a rookie on board in Oliver Bearman, the Frenchman’s proneness to overstepping the mark when wheel-to-wheel has prompted much discussion.
But it must be acknowledged that Ocon has not been the driver who has warranted complete blame on the occasions where two cars on the same side have touched.
Furthermore, placing increased attention on the limited moments when he is embroiled in a team-mate clash disregards the star qualities that Ocon brings as a driver.
Nico Hulkenberg’s exploits since Haas revived his F1 career last term have showcased to the American outfit the advantages of having a driver that raises the ceiling.
But having lost the experienced German to Sauber as it prepares to morph into Audi in 2026, Haas is fortunate that a more than adequate replacement was available.
Like Hulkenberg, Ocon boasts the prowess to deliver under pressure under single-lap conditions to haul a car up the tower and into a position that defies expectation.
The ex-Manor and Force India racer has also demonstrated that he can convert those opportunities into points, having helped Alpine to top the midfield order in 2022.
As Williams boss James Vowles – who has worked alongside Ocon at Mercedes – pointed out earlier this month, a racer that can be Fernando Alonso’s equal is good.
Alonso was beset with an unreliable A522 car in his last campaign with Alpine, but regardless, Ocon was never disgraced as others have been against the Spaniard.
Despite enduring a season on the sidelines in 2018 when he lost his seat at Force India, Ocon has still racked up 146 career F1 starts across three separate teams.
Komatsu has been public that Ocon being 27 and having vast experience under his belt makes him an ideal candidate as Haas prepares to welcome a rookie driver.
Bearman has impressed in his showings with Haas since last term and excelled when he was thrown into the deep end with Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Briton, who covered for the sidelined Carlos Sainz, was able to repel late pressure from compatriots Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to come home in seventh.
It’s inevitable that Bearman will experience low points during his rookie F1 season, though, and Haas has a dependable name alongside to give him time to develop.
But outside the short-term benefits that Ocon brings, the outgoing Kevin Magnussen has admitted that he is disappointed to lose his drive at a time Haas is growing.
Haas might reside as the smallest operation on the entire grid, but the Kannapolis-based squad has once again proven that it can displace its more seasoned rivals.
Komatsu views Ocon’s impending arrival as another step towards bolstering the side in the long-term, citing his experience at having been involved in a works setup.
“The experience he brings, not just from his talent but from working for a manufacturer team, will be advantageous to us in our growth as an organisation, he said.
“It was vital we had a driver with experience in beside Oliver Bearman next year, but Esteban’s only 27 – he’s still young with a lot to prove as well.”
However, it also is a testament to Haas’ progress that Ocon pursued a switch with the independent team over a rebuilding Williams team or the Sauber/Audi venture.
Haas opened the campaign anticipating to be positioned at the rear as it endeavoured to overcome the development issues that saw it end at the bottom last season.
However, the VF-24 has transpired to be more competitive than expected and Haas is sat in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship, six points behind RB.
Perhaps the most enticing aspect that drew Ocon to Haas was the sign that Komatsu’s reign is eradicating the previous failures under predecessor Guenther Steiner.
Haas has tended to commence a season on a competitive note but regress in the development race. This time around, updates in Silverstone brought a marked gain.
With squads set to turn their attention towards the revised technical regulations coming once 2025 arrives, Haas is in a promising place to be competitive next season.
But with a revitalised Ocon signed up on a multi-term basis, Haas can look ahead to F1’s next era convinced that it has a driver who can achieve the team’s ambitions.
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