Ayao Komatsu, team principal of Haas, has revealed that his team was surprised by the decision to leave Esteban Ocon out of structure ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The decision to release the French driver was made after a disagreement with race engineer Laura Mueller during the first practice session. While the details of the conflict are unclear, the tense atmosphere became evident in the radio communications.
Ocon was replaced by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who participated in FP1 and will now remain with the team until the end of the season. In the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix, Haas’s new signing for 2027, Rafael Camara, will debut alongside Oliver Bearman.
Komatsu expressed that it was a shocking moment for the team in communicating the change: ‘Everyone was surprised when I had to say that Esteban would no longer drive and that Ryo was taking his place.’ Despite the need to communicate transparency within the team, he admitted that he could not provide further details about Ocon’s situation.
The Haas director also mentioned that working with Ocon has been a continuous learning experience, highlighting that each day presents new challenges. In his absence, Oliver Bearman has taken on the role of lead driver in light of the addition of rookies.
Bearman commented that Ocon’s absence is strange and complex for the team, but hopes that the situation does not cause many disruptions in their performance. Additionally, he expressed his excitement about competing with Camara, who is the leader of the Formula 2 championship, stating that he hopes the new teammate can empower him to elevate his level of competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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