Esteban Ocon has been formally terminated by Haas, with Rafael Câmara taking his seat for this weekend’s Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix.
Ocon’s immediate future was already in doubt following Haas’ shock decision to drop the Frenchman ahead of last weekend’s race in Mexico City, replaced by Ryo Hirakawa.
Both team and driver have kept quiet since, with very little detail coming out about the specifics of what happened on Friday last weekend, with reports citing a disagreement of some kind.
Ocon’s prospects for returning for Brazil looked bleak, and Haas has now formally confirmed the Frenchman has been dropped for the remainder of 2026.
Whilst Camara is confirmed for São Paulo, it is not yet known if he will race beyond Brazil.
In its statement, Haas confirmed that it will keep details of catalyst that led to Ocon and Haas’ divorce behind closed doors.
Full statement from Haas
November 3, 2026 – TGR Haas F1 Team can confirm that Esteban Ocon will no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Rafael Câmara will now partner Ollie Bearman in the team at the São Paulo Grand Prix – hosted at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil, 6-8 November 2026 – Round 20 of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Câmara (21), the current FIA Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship points-leader, will make his Formula 1 debut on home-soil this year having last month been announced as one of TGR Haas F1 Team’s full-time driver signings for the 2027 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
A member of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, Câmara’s first on-track experience with TGR Haas F1 Team came through his participation in a Testing of Previous Car (TPC) test in August, when he drove the team’s VF-25 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal.
Quote from Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal – TGR Haas F1 Team:
“We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with TGR Haas F1 Team this season. Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City – but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward. The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations. Looking ahead, we’ve chosen Rafael Câmara to drive alongside Ollie Bearman at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Having excelled in his TPC outing in August, we know Rafa’s capabilities and we’re looking forward to welcoming him into the team this weekend and working with him through his Formula 1 debut driving the VF-26 in Brazil.”
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