Written by Maria Fashchevskaya
Esteban Ocon stays in Formula One for multiple years to come: Haas have announced the Frenchman as their new and final driver, completing the 2025 driver line-up for the American team. Ocon currently drives for the Alpine F1 team but has been confirmed to not extend his contract with the French team, previously known as Renault.
Esteban Ocon is set to drive for the Haas F1 team from the 2025 season onwards, replacing the departing Kevin Magnussen. He will race alongside upcoming rookie Oliver Bearman, who has been announced to drive for the American team at the weekend of the British Grand Prix.
“I’m delighted we’ve secured Esteban Ocon’s services for Haas,” said Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu. “I’ve obviously been aware of his talents for a long time and our personal history dates back to Esteban’s maiden run in a Formula 1 car – I was his race engineer that day with Lotus."
Commenting on his signing with Haas, Ocon said: "I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me. I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months. On a more personal note, I’m very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he’s been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than 10 years ago."
Previously, it has been announced that Ocon would not extend his current contract with Alpine F1 Team – the team he had won his maiden victory with, at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. He scored two podiums with them at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and 2023 Monaco Grand Prix – too, and achieved a best year-end finish of eighth in 2022.
Lately, Alpine could not deliver the results, the team expected and wanted. The news of Ocon not extending his contract and leaving Alpine dropped at the start of June, after he had dramatically collided with still-teammate Pierre Gasly on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix this year.
Speaking to media after the announcement, the Frenchman believed that it has been the “right time” for him and the team to end their contractual relationship at the end of the 2024 season. He explained the departure to not be a punishment for the collision in Monaco with Pierre Gasly, as it has been a mutual decision between him and Alpine, formerly Renault.
"A group like Renault doesn’t take decisions on single moments like that. For us, it was important that… We’ve discussed for several months and we decided together not to continue. It’s no secret that we’ve been talking with Alpine and various other teams as well."
Now Esteban Ocon is finishing his fifth season for the Alpine F1 Team. The Frenchman has been driving in Formula One since 2016 with the likes of Renault, Force India and Alpine. Starting 2025, he can add Haas F1 Team to that list.
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