Esteban Ocon will race for his fourth different Formula 1 team in 2025 after agreeing a deal to join Haas.
The Frenchman had decided the time was right to end his partnership with Alpine and decided not to extend his contract beyond the end of last season.
Ocon was surprisingly replaced by newcomer Jack Doohan for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, allowing him to start with Haas sooner.
He will line up alongside Oliver Bearman in his rookie season, which is a great opportunity for the young Brit to learn from an experienced Formula 1 race-winner.
Ocon earned big respect from Haas for motivating Alpine colleagues during a tough time for them in 2024 as they started the year at the back of the grid.
They eventually recovered to sixth in the Constructors’ Standings, mainly down to a heroic effort from himself and teammate Pierre Gasly at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon’s secret Williams meeting was leaked to Alpine by a car tracker
Guenther Steiner would’ve kept Nico Hulkenberg over signing Ocon at Haas, insisting it would have been a better move, but team boss Ayao Komatsu disagrees.
Back at the British Grand Prix last summer, Ocon was already plotting his next move as he explored options in the driver market.
That included a visit to Williams for a seat fit as they evaluated whether the Frenchman at well over six feet tall, could fit in their chassis.
READ MORE: Esteban Ocon told real ‘reason’ for Alpine axe at Abu Dhabi GP, it was not Haas
According to Auto Motor und Sport, the problem arose when he drove to the factory in his Alpine company car, which was equipped with a tracker.
It meant that the team could see his A110 car had been parked outside the Williams factory for over five hours.
He hadn’t informed them of his decision to leave the team yet either, meaning that the discovery may have served as a bit of a shock.
Is Haas a good F1 move for Esteban Ocon?
A Toyota clause in their Haas deal has Ocon under pressure before he has even completed his first race for the team.
They can veto any future driver moves if they don’t like them as part of their technical partnership, which could have a big upside for the American team.
Haas showed encouraging signs in 2024 by starting to make progress with their car which saw them compete in the midfield after a few absent years at the back of the grid.
READ MORE: Nico Hulkenberg has promised to make one change in 2025 after switching Haas for Sauber
Komatsu was able to turn a car which was terrible on tyres in race trim into a regular points-contending machine.
It was a nod of approval for those in engineering positions moving into senior management. Maybe Formula 1 is headed in the direction of having more engineers as team principals.
