Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has spoken out for the first time on the team’s decision to drop Esteban Ocon for the 2027 Formula 1 season.
The Frenchman’s long and highly rumoured exit was confirmed on Wednesday, with Formula 2 title-leader Rafael Camara understood to be replacing him.
Haas’ decision to drop Ocon brings to an end a two-season spell with the Banbury-based squad, which is also expected to retain Camara’s fellow Ferrari junior, Ollie Bearman, for 2027.
The subject of Ocon’s future had been prolonged and ongoing, initially starting with a highly-publicised allegation of an outburst from Komatsu to the one-time Grand Prix-winner in Montreal.
On Thursday’s media day in Sepang, ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Ocon indicated he was aware of the reasons why he was axed, and whilst choosing not to disclose them, affirmed it was not down to on-track performance.
But Komatsu, also speaking to media in Sepang, gave his account, giving a hint that what many may construe towards supposed inconsistency from the 30-year-old.
“I guess it depends what he means by performance. Performance just encompasses let’s say everything, right?” he said to media, including Motorsport Week. “So, obviously when everything is right, as you can see on the previous races, he’s one of the fastest.
“He’s got great speed, he’s got great talent and he can execute at a very, very high level, so when things fall into place, it’s amazing, right? So really we are focused on, I think, I feel like [since] Budapest, [he] has done a very good job.
“Zandvoort, [he] did the same, Monza, our car on Esteban’s side of the garage wasn’t working very well, but again, he made the best job of that, and then Madrid and then Baku, he performed, so I’m really just looking forward to finish the season really really strongly with him because we are seeing and know what he’s capable of and then that’s what we are focused on.”
‘Time to make a change’, but Komatsu has no regrets about Esteban Ocon-Haas union
When pressed further as to whether performances prior to Hungary were a factor in the decision to replace Ocon, Komatsu refused to be drawn too much further, but again made a potentially telling remark.
“I don’t want to go into details, to be honest, because certain things we discussed with the drivers just remain really private, you know?” he said. “But even when they look at the overall picture, I think for me it was a time to make a change.
“But in terms of his ultimate speed, the performance that he can produce when everything lines up, there’s no doubt.”
Asked to reflect on Ocon’s time with Haas, Koamtsu stated there were no regrets, and showed gratitude to the experience he brought, given he was the American squad’s first-ever Grand Prix-winner to race for them.
“Yeah, honestly, his work ethic was very, very good and he brought experience, right?” he said. “Obviously, he was the first driver we signed who was a race-winner. So he brought that experience, that dimension that we didn’t have as a team.
“And then the combination of having Esteban with, let’s say now, 10 years of experience in Formula 1, race-winner, proven finisher, with an exciting new talent, Oliver Bearman. He’s not a rookie anymore this year, but last year he was a rookie. That was a very, very good combination.
“So I’m very happy that we signed him a year and a half ago and we’ve had a really good year and a half. Honestly, just our focus now is really eight more races to really finish on high.
“I think that he deserves that and the team deserves that. And I’m sure if we are focused on it without any other noise, then we can achieve that.”
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