Haas end Ocon's 2026 race programme as Camara gets Sao Paulo seat

Haas have ruled out Esteban Ocon returning to their race line-up for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Rafael Camara set to take his place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. BBC Sport reported that the team confirmed its decision on Tuesday, following Ocon's removal from the car during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.

Camara, a Brazilian rookie already signed by Haas for 2027, will drive at this weekend's event in Brazil. His appearance follows a different replacement arrangement in Mexico, where Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa took over from Ocon. Haas have not announced who will occupy the seat for the races that follow Sao Paulo, leaving that part of their remaining programme unconfirmed.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu said Haas had informed Ocon that he would not return to a race seat with the team this season. In the statement reported by the BBC, Komatsu described both the latest decision and the earlier move in Mexico City as difficult choices made in the team's interests. He did not disclose the substance of the discussions behind them.

The sequence began during the Mexican weekend. According to the BBC, Ocon disputed tyre selection with race engineer Laura Mueller during Friday's second practice session. He was then stood down on Saturday morning, with Hirakawa replacing him. The report linked the subsequent decision to an apparent disagreement with Komatsu, but Haas have provided no details explaining why they removed the French driver.

Ocon acknowledged in a statement issued after he was dropped in Mexico that differing viewpoints had led to a discussion between those involved. He also denied allegations that physical violence had been used to settle any disagreement. Komatsu, meanwhile, said the conversations between Haas and Ocon would remain private. The team's announcement therefore confirms the sporting decision without resolving the differing public accounts of the exchanges.

The change sidelines a driver with 198 grand prix appearances and one victory since his Formula 1 debut in 2016, according to the BBC. For Haas, the immediate confirmed step is Camara's introduction in Sao Paulo; the team has yet to identify its replacement driver or drivers for the rest of the season.