Esteban Ocon permanently axed by Haas after dispute with team bosses

Esteban Ocon will not race for Haas again, with Rafael Camara named as his replacement for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.Camara, the current Formula 2 leader, is a Ferrari academy driver and partners British driver Ollie Bearman at his home race.Ocon's departure had already been confirmed for the end of the season, with the Brazilian lined up as his replacement. Instead, the Frenchman has been removed from his position early.Haas dropped Ocon midway through the last round in Mexico, with the American team giving no explanation for the decision.Ocon denied he had been violent in response to reports of an altercation, but admitted to a disagreement with team bosses.A Haas statement read: “TGR Haas F1 team can confirm that Esteban Ocon will no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 world championship.”Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has said it is over an “internal matter” (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)Team principal Ayao Komatsu, speaking live on Sky Sports on the Saturday of the Mexico race, refused to answer questions on what had happened with Ocon.The Japanese boss says the issue remains an “internal matter”.He said: “Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City – but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.“The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations.“Looking ahead, we’ve chosen Rafael Camara to drive alongside Ollie Bearman at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.”There are four more races left on the 2026 Formula One calendar, beginning with this weekend’s race in Brazil.That will be followed by the Las Vegas Grand Prix, before Formula One heads to the Middle East for races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.Last weekend, Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula One champion in history, winning the world title at the age of 20.The Italian star has dominated the season, comfortably outperforming his rivals to seal his crown with four races to spare.He is 199 points clear of his nearest rival Max Verstappen, who faces a battle to hold onto second spot ahead of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc.