The Formula 1 paddock continues to be abuzz with activity ahead of 2026, with one of the most notable discussions centering around Haas and the performance of Esteban Ocon. The team’s chief, Ayao Komatsu, has publicly admitted that he expected more from the French driver during the 2025 season, especially considering his experience in F1 and the fact that he had a rookie teammate.
Ocon joined Haas after leaving Alpine and formed a partnership with Oliver Bearman. However, the final championship standings revealed a scenario that few had predicted: the British driver scored 41 points, compared to Ocon’s 38. Furthermore, Bearman gained an advantage in qualifying duels, 17 to 11, disregarding technical issues. Throughout the year, the young driver’s performance grew, while the Frenchman experienced highs and lows and was increasingly outperformed.
Komatsu was direct in his assessment of the driver’s season. According to him, looking solely at the sporting result, no one on the team was satisfied with what was delivered. The manager recalled that Ocon has about ten years of experience in Formula 1, has already won a race, and has stepped onto the podium, so the expectation was greater. Still, he made a point of sharing the responsibility.
“It’s not entirely his fault, it’s fifty-fifty. At times, we didn’t give him a car that made him feel comfortable, especially in qualifying,” he stated. The Haas chief explained that at certain circuits, the difficulties became more evident. Baku was cited as an example, where Ocon was not satisfied with the performance in braking and ended up very far off in terms of fast lap pace.
Komatsu emphasized that there is no single cause to explain the situation. For him, each weekend had different factors, without a central problem that would solve everything. The critical point, according to the Japanese manager, was the delay in the team and driver finding solutions. In his view, the team could have reacted faster to correct the direction of work throughout the year.
The Abu Dhabi GP, the final round of 2025, was used as a reflection of this rollercoaster. On Friday, Ocon had a lot of trouble and even said he felt like a rookie who had never driven an F1 car. He reported instability, difficulty in putting in laps, and a behavior of the car that did not match his driving style.
Despite this, there was a reaction. The Frenchman managed to recover, advanced to Q3, and finished the race in seventh, starting from eighth. For Komatsu, this weekend clearly showed the driver’s potential. “After a very bad Friday, he was on pace on Saturday and Sunday. That’s the talent he has,” he highlighted.
The manager concluded by stating that the mission now is to better harness this capacity. According to him, Haas needs to extract the maximum from its two drivers, as the team will depend even more on both in the next season. The message is clear: Ocon remains valued, but enters under pressure to transform his potential into more consistent results in Formula 1.
