Esteban Ocon makes defiant claim as F1 future hangs in the balance

Esteban Ocon believes he is “one of the best out there” in Formula 1, as uncertainty surrounds his place in the top tier next season.

The Haas driver confirmed ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend that he is a free agent heading into 2027, but went on to secure a season-best eighth-place finish in Baku on Saturday.

Esteban Ocon makes F1 ability claim amid Haas uncertainty

Haas is understood to have tested several drivers as potential candidates for the seat Ocon currently occupies for next season, with Ferrari junior and Formula 2 championship leader, Rafael Camara, currently believed to be the leading contender.

Only a handful of seats remain uncontracted for the F1 2027 as it stands, too. Fernando Alonso is yet to confirm his decision over whether or not he is staying in Formula 1 next year, while Racing Bulls would be an unlikely destination for a driver of Ocon’s experience.

He trails Haas teammate Ollie Bearman in the standings this season, but a double-points finish for the team represents its first points finish in nine races.

With victory in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix to his name, Ocon emphasised that, while he has significant credentials in Formula 1, he believes he has unfinished business in the category.

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“I’ve raced with everyone out there, and I’ve always been on par, or I’ve won every championship that I’ve raced with,” he told PlanetF1.com and others after the chequered flag in Baku.

“I won races in Formula Renault, I won championships in go-karts, I won Formula 3, I won GP3, I was racing in the top 10 in DTM for half the season, I won in Formula 1.

“I can do it. I’m one of the best out there, and I’m not afraid to say it.”

Haas’ competitiveness has waned overall as the season has progressed, with others such as Alpine, Audi and Williams having all brought significant upgrades to their cars.

It was a frantic end to proceedings in Azerbaijan, too, as Ocon and Bearman steered clear of trouble after two late Safety Car periods to bring themselves into points contention.

Ocon was just pipped to seventh place on the line by Arvid Lindblad, but felt that teamwork was key as Haas ended a long wait for points on Saturday.

“I overtook Liam [Lawson], who was a little bit slow on the line,” he explained of the second Safety Car restart. “He was still in front, but that gave me enough [momentum] to go into Turn 1.

“I just dived Turn 2 into Ollie, and got in front of him, and from there on, what was going to be difficult was to keep the overtake in front, and that was not possible because the quick cars, they just disappeared, so we were playing the team game with Ollie.

“I gave him overtake [mode] for the last four or five laps until he got overtaken by Lindblad, unfortunately, but we deserved that.

“I can say I deserve that, not all the rest of the s***.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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