Dropped Esteban Ocon defiant: Formula 1 is “where I belong”

Esteban Ocon will be leaving the Haas Formula 1 team at the end of the 2026 season. Ocon expressed his desire to remain in Formula 1, stating that it is "where I belong" and where he "want[s] to be."

Ocon has had a couple of up-and-down seasons at Haas after moving from Alpine, where he spent five years. He won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for Alpine from eighth on the grid. According to Motorsport.com, Ocon is focused on Formula 1 and is not looking elsewhere for opportunities.

Ocon's performances have been impacted by the competitiveness of his car, with Yahoo Sports reporting that he believes having a competitive car is crucial to his success. He has had some notable results, including in Baku and Madrid. Ocon has confirmed that his time with Haas will come to an end at the end of the 2026 season, and he will continue to work hard with the team for the remainder of the season.

Brief written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.