Angry refutation from the Haas Formula 1 camp over rumours surrounding Esteban Ocon‘s future continued on Thursday, with team boss Ayao Komatsu lambasting he described as “f**king bulls**t gossip”.
The Frenchman’s place in the American squad has been in question since online speculation grew earlier this week, via a Brazilian media report.
Despite the report not even containing any specific rumours about Ocon’s future, the misinterpretation stuck and grew to the point where it became the centre of public discourse.
Ocon, when asked about it during Thursday’s media day ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, told media including Motorsport Week: “Yeah, honestly, it’s complete bullshit to be honest,” adding that it was “almost like bullying”.
Komatsu, when speaking to media including Motorsport Week later on Thursday, was perhaps even angrier in his riposte about the speculation.
“Honestly, I don’t know where that story came from, no idea,” the Japanese Team Principal said.
“This Brazilian journalist was quoted, but I have no idea. No foundation whatsoever, absolute bulls**t.
“If somebody wants to write that kind of bulls**t, feel free, but f**king hell, is that journalism?
“I have no idea, it’s terrible. What are they trying to achieve? It’s crazy. No foundation whatsoever.”
Komatsu reversed the roles and asked his own question aimed at the assembled media throng: “Have any of you heard me saying anything like that? Yes or no?”,
When met with silence, Komatsu said: “It’s incredible.”
Komatsu accused media of ‘writing on top’ of ‘bulls**t’ Ocon/Haas story
When asked if he had spoken with Ocon, with whom he allegedly had a heated confrontation in Miami – as per the rumours – Komatsu continued his furious tirade.
“I spoke to him this morning, but, for me, there’s like nothing to defend from our side whatsoever,” he said. “Part of it [the report] says that, apparently, I had like some issue with Esteban in Miami.
“Where’d that come from? I didn’t even have a single argument with Esteban in Miami. It’s just amazing how completely this bulls**t gets smoked up, and then, because nobody checks the source, everybody just writes on top of it.
“How is that journalism? It’s just f**king bulls**t gossip.”
It’s fair to say that Haas is very clear in its stance on the rumours, and it’s far to say that journalists have seldom pressed ‘Shift’ and ‘8’ to get an asterisk so frequently.
READ MORE – Fernando Alonso rues loss of ‘pure racing’ in F1
Discussion about this post