Why Haas Signed Esteban Ocon For 2025

After securing Esteban Ocon in the Haas seat for 2025, Team Principal Ayao Komatsu reflected, “Esteban’s gone on to become an established talent in Formula 1 and of course a Grand Prix winner.”

In 2024, Haas put up a strong fight for P6 in the standings with Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at the helm, but ultimately, Alpine got the better of them. For 2025, their driver lineup slate has been wiped clean with a new pairing–a young rising star of Ollie Bearman alongside an experienced, talented Esteban Ocon. And they were proactive in their approach for drivers, signing them both before the summer break. But why exactly did they sign Ocon?

Ocon’s Alpine Exit

Chalking up Esteban Ocon’s exit from Alpine solely to his first-lap collision with teammate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix would be an oversimplication. However, that incident undeniably exposed the underlying tensions within the team. Rumors swirled that Alpine was considering benching Ocon as a reprimand, signaling just how fractured the relationship had become. In reality, the rift between driver and team had been widening for some time—Monaco may have simply been the breaking point.

Ocon’s contract was expiring at the end of the year, and the team, undergoing yet another restructuring, sought a reset in its driver lineup. They seemed to favor retaining Gasly over Ocon and so his exit was officially confirmed soon after.

His Move To Haas

Amassing 156 career starts for several outfits on the grid including Manor, Force India, Renault and Alpine, scoring 445 points including his three podiums and his win at the 2021 Hungary Grand Prix–Ocon was a prime candidate due to his experience.

The Frenchman had also proven his mettle, putting up a strong showing against two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Though Gasly had a slight edge over him in 2023 and 2024, Ocon’s overall performance ensured he remained a strong candidate for an F1 seat.

Although he had talks with other teams including Williams and Sauber, Ocon’s decision to join Haas felt like a natural fit—a team that had a competitive midfield run in 2024 and an environment with fewer distractions from internal politics. Moreover, unlike Sauber/Audi, where he would have been part of a long-term rebuilding phase, Haas offered a more immediate competitive opportunity.

Komatsu’s familiarity with Ocon extends back to his earliest days in F1. Komatsu said, “I’ve obviously been aware of his talents for a long time and our personal history dates back to Esteban’s maiden run in a Formula 1 car – I was his race engineer that day with Lotus.”

Moreover, as the more experienced driver of the pairing, Ocon is likely to take that team leader role.

Why Haas Wanted Ocon

For Haas, a race winner in one of their seats is a big asset. Securing a multi-year deal with that race winner is the icing on the cake. It shows that Haas have a strong project, one worthy of attracting Ocon to sign and help the team build upwards.

“Esteban’s gone on to become an established talent in Formula 1 and of course a Grand Prix winner. The experience he brings, not just from his own talent base but also from working for a manufacturer team, will be advantageous to us in our growth as an organisation,” said Komatsu.

“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. I think we have a hungry, dynamic driver pairing and I look forward to welcoming Esteban into Haas for 2025,” he added.

Team owner Gene Haas said, “Esteban’s proved himself in the teams he’s raced for as someone who’s continually in the mix and scoring points – it’s that continuity we’re keen to capitalise on as we look for increased performance gains on-track. We have a blend of youth and experience in our future driver line-up and I’m excited to see the results.”

Ocon said, “I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me.”

With Haas aiming for a more competitive midfield presence and Ocon seeking redemption after his Alpine exit, this partnership will be one to watch this season.