MEXICO CITY — The Haas Formula 1 team abruptly sidelined veteran driver Esteban Ocon on Saturday ahead of qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix, handing an unexpected grand prix debut to Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa.
The rare mid-weekend shakeup leaves Hirakawa in the car alongside Oliver Bearman for Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions, as well as Sunday’s 71-lap race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the team announced. Haas stated that it would make no further comments and explicitly clarified that the choice was not prompted by illness.
A Sudden Garage Departure
The team provided no official explanation for removing Ocon partway through the event. Team principal Ayao Komatsu declined to clarify the circumstances when questioned by Sky Sports F1, stating that he “could not go into details.”
Crew members were seen taking down Ocon’s name and racing number from the squad’s hospitality building on Saturday morning, The Independent reported. The swift action followed tension during Friday’s second practice session, when Ocon engaged in an on-track radio dispute with his race engineer, Laura Müller, regarding tire choices for his run plan.
Hirakawa, 31, had already logged laps during Friday’s opening practice session, clocking the 15th fastest time as part of the team’s testing duties. A two-time World Endurance Championship winner and past 24 Hours of Le Mans victor with Toyota, Hirakawa is backed by Haas’ technical partner and title sponsor.
Ocon returned to the car for second practice on Friday afternoon, setting the 13th quickest time. Afterward, the Frenchman remarked that he “did not feel super comfortable in the car” after sitting out the morning running, but had anticipated making overnight setups adjustments prior to qualifying.
Uncertain Road Ahead
The sudden move heightens questions surrounding Ocon’s immediate and long-term future in motorsport. The 30-year-old French driver, who secured a grand prix victory in Hungary in 2021, is already scheduled to exit Haas at the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
Haas announced earlier this year that Brazilian Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Câmara will take Ocon’s seat for the 2027 season. Speaking to reporters ahead of the recent United States Grand Prix in Austin, Ocon maintained that he still belongs on the grid next year, asserting that his pending departure was not related to his on-track performances.
“As I said, I deserve to be here in Formula One. There are many circumstances why I’m not here next year, but they are not the performance reasons,” Ocon said in Austin.
Haas currently sits seventh in the constructors’ standings with 30 points, trailing Alpine by 39 points. It remains unannounced who will drive for the outfit at the upcoming São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil next weekend, the opening contest in a four-race stretch that wraps up the 2026 championship calendar.
