Haas Announces Ocon Signing for 2025, Frenchman to Partner Bearman

The team announced last week that Kevin Magnussen would be leaving at the end of the season, creating a vacancy that many believed would be filled by 27-year-old Ocon.

On Thursday in Belgium, just before the final race before the break at the track where Esteban Ocon made his F1 debut in 2016, Haas announced that Ocon would become the first Grand Prix winner to drive for them since their entry into the sport in 2016.

Ocon has competed in 146 races, driving for Manor, Force India, Renault, and Alpine. Throughout his career, he has accumulated 425 points and secured three podium finishes, including his first victory in Hungary in 2021.

The French driver has a history with Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu. Komatsu was responsible for orchestrating Ocon's first F1 test in 2014 with Lotus, which now operates under the Alpine banner, at Valencia. He is jubilant over the signing of Ocon.

The Haas F1 Team Principal expressed enthusiasm about securing Esteban Ocon's services for the 2025 season, noting a longstanding awareness of Ocon's talent. He recalled their early connection, highlighting that he was Ocon's race engineer during his maiden Formula 1 test with Lotus.

"I'm delighted we've secured Esteban Ocon's services for Haas," said the team Principal as quoted from Formula 1. "I've obviously been aware of his talents for a long time and our personal history dates back to Esteban's maiden run in a Formula 1 car - I was his race engineer that day with Lotus," added Komatsu.

"He displayed his talents back then coming off the back of strong performances in the junior categories - he'd just won the 2014 European Formula 3 Championship," he said.

The Principal praised Ocon's achievements, including his victory in the 2014 European Formula 3 Championship and his status as a Grand Prix winner, underscoring how these successes and his experience with a manufacturer team will benefit Haas as it evolves.

"Esteban's gone on to become an established talent in Formula 1 and of course a Grand Prix winner. The experience he brings, not just from his own talent base but also from working for a manufacturer team, will be advantageous to us in our growth as an organisation," he added

He also emphasized the strategic importance of having an experienced driver like Ocon alongside the younger Oliver Bearman, pointing out that despite being only 27, Ocon remains a dynamic and ambitious driver. Overall, the Principal is optimistic about the positive impact Ocon will have on the team's growth and performance.

"It was vital we had a driver with experience beside Oliver Bearman next year, but Esteban's only 27 - he's still young with a lot to prove as well. I think we have a hungry, dynamic driver pairing and I look forward to welcoming Esteban into Haas for 2025," concluded Komatsu.

The Haas team owner, Gene Haas highlighted the importance of having a driver with proven Formula 1 credentials, and Esteban Ocon, as a Grand Prix winner, meets this requirement.

The owner of Haas F1 Team Gene Haas added, "It was important to me that we have a driver with a known pedigree in Formula 1, and as a Grand Prix winner, Esteban undoubtedly fits that brief.

The owner appreciates Ocon's consistent performance across various teams, where he has regularly been competitive and scored points. This continuity and reliability are seen as crucial for Haas as they aim to improve their on-track performance. By combining Ocon's experience with the younger Oliver Bearman, the team is setting up a driver lineup that balances youth and experience. The owner is excited about the potential results of this strategic pairing and the anticipated performance gains.

"Esteban's proved himself in the teams he's raced for as someone who's continually in the mix and scoring points - it's that continuity we're keen to capitalise on as we look for increased performance gains on-track. We have a blend of youth and experience in our future driver line-up and I'm excited to see the results," the owner said.

Esteban Ocon is enthusiastic about joining the Haas F1 Team, citing the team's ambitious goals, strong work ethic, and impressive progress as key factors that attracted him.

"I'll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory have really impressed me," said Ocon.

He expressed gratitude to Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their confidence and the productive discussions that facilitated his move. Ocon also personally values the opportunity to work with Komatsu again, who was part of his Formula 1 debut with Lotus more than a decade ago.

"I'd like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months. On a more personal note, I'm very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he's been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than 10 years ago," added Ocon.

He looks forward to contributing to Haas's future plans and targets, and is eager to collaborate with the teams located in Kannapolis, Banbury, and Maranello, viewing this new role as a significant and exciting opportunity.

"Haas has exciting plans and clear targets for the future, and I'm very much looking forward to working with everyone in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello, and being part of this great project," he said. (ANI)