Haas to decide 2027 driver line-up within couple of weeks

Haas, the American Formula One team, is set to decide their driver line-up for 2027 within the next couple of weeks, according to team boss Ayao Komatsu. This was revealed on Thursday, the day after Haas racer Esteban Ocon declared himself a "free agent." Komatsu emphasized that the team has completed all evaluations and is currently reviewing the findings internally before reaching a final decision.

Ocon, who joined Haas last year, expressed his intention to explore other options in a recent interview. Multiple media reports have suggested that Ferrari-supported Brazilian Rafael Camara, the 2025 Formula Two champion, is the favorite to replace Ocon. Other potential candidates identified by Komatsu include McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli, Toyota-backed Japanese racer Ryo Hirakawa, and the team's current reserve Jack Doohan.

Komatsu clarified that the team had tested all these options in older cars during private tests, stating, "If that wasn’t the option, why do we test?" He also confirmed that keeping Ocon as a driver remained an option, as the team has not made any decisions yet. When asked about the implications of Ocon's "free agent" statement, Komatsu responded, "Every driver has, let's say, a closing certain point in the year to decide on the option.

It just means that we haven't decided on that option yet, but that was quite a long time ago. So his situation hasn't really changed."