Ocon’s Haas Seat in Doubt with Doohan Waiting in the Wings

The Formula 1 driver market is stirring again, and this time, the focus is on Haas. The American team, currently fourth in the constructors' championship with 18 points, could be evaluating a change in its lineup. Esteban Ocon, the French driver signed to bring experience and leadership, has not managed to sustain the expected consistency, and his future is beginning to be the subject of speculation.

Ocon's performance has been inconsistent, on track errors and growing internal tensions have put the Frenchman under the microscope. His situation has become even more delicate due to the solid growth of Oliver Bearman, the young Briton who arrived at Haas in 2025 as a promising rookie, has established himself as one of the team's strongest sporting bets and the performance difference between the two drivers has set off alarms in the American garage.

In that context, the name that appears most strongly to occupy an eventual race seat is that of Jack Doohan. The 23 year old Australian is currently Haas's reserve driver and works side by side with the engineers on the simulator, his knowledge of the structure, added to the commercial backing that the team maintains with Toyota (Doohan is a driver for the Japanese brand in other categories) position him as the main replacement candidate.

Doohan's possible return to the grid is rooted in revenge; the Australian lost his seat at Alpine for the 2025 season after Franco Colapinto's promotion. The Argentine, who had arrived as a reserve driver, took advantage of Doohan's accidents and low performance to take the seat. Since then, the Australian has remained within the paddock, waiting for his opportunity. Now that opportunity could come sooner than expected.

For now there is no official confirmation and Haas has not commented on Ocon's future. The Frenchman himself has a valid contract, but in the paddock, the rumors grow. Formula 1 is a fast paced sport, where patience is scarce and decisions are made quickly, a few bad results can change a driver's destiny overnight.

Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto, the driver who displaced Doohan from Alpine, continues his own path, the Argentine, who just achieved his best result in F1 with a seventh place in Miami, prepares for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Next weekend, at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, Ocon will seek to perform well not only to regain his confidence, but to keep his seat at a Haas that wants to be a protagonist.