Esteban Ocon will leave Haas at the end of the year, the team announced, putting the French driver’s Formula 1 future in doubt. There are no obvious places for him on the 2027 grid, but Ocon said: “This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career.”

The 30-year-old has raced in F1 since 2016, driving for Manor and Force India before joining Haas in 2025. He won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine. Across his 10-year career, he has one win and four podium finishes.

Ocon has been outperformed by Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman since they joined the team. This season, British driver Bearman is 13th in the championship, three places and 13 points ahead of Ocon. Bearman has out-qualified him 13-6, with an average advantage of 0.144 seconds.

Last year, Bearman finished 13th and Ocon 15th, separated by three points. In qualifying, Bearman led 18-7, with an average advantage of 0.175 seconds.

In a social media statement, Ocon said: “I leave this project with my head held high and proud of my performances in what were not always the easiest of circumstances for various reasons and factors outside of my control.” He said his immediate focus was the next race weekend and that he would keep working with Haas, maximizing each opportunity and seeking the most performance from the car.

“There are still many races to go this season and, as always, I will give it my everything behind the wheel for myself and for my team,” Ocon said. “I am still motivated. I am still hungry.”

Haas team principal Ayao Kumatso praised Ocon’s contribution as the organization continues to grow. “Esteban's professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation,” he said.

“Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban's driving experience and inputs were significant as we've worked hard to develop the VF-26 across the season,” Kumatso said. BBC Sport also directed listeners to Back at Base on BBC Sounds.

Based on reporting by BBC Sport.