The driver market is getting more interesting with time. With one racer’s future confirmed, hopefully, more news will rush in during and after the summer break. But first- who found a seat? Esteban Ocon did. Driving in his last stint with Alpine, the Frenchman saw a resort in the MoneyGram Haas F1 team from 2025 onwards. Signing a multi-year contract with the American team, Ocon will pair up with Oliver Bearman from next year.
However, this announcement has received mixed reviews. Some fans suggested that Bearman’s nightmares have just begun, while others congratulated Ocon for making the right choice. After all, where else could ‘Estie Bestie’ go? Williams saw potential in Ocon, and Audi also showed some interest. Haas was swift with the deal, and now, look what their quick decisions have led to!
Some believe Esteban Ocon is a “better Kevin Magnussen” for Haas, and this new deal is going to be successful. Especially for Ocon, moving from a complex team like Alpine to a lean racing team like Haas could be good, allowing him to gain some outstanding weekends. Ocon is the ‘upgraded’ version of K-Mag and is expected to do well in Gene Haas’s squad, compared to Magnussen, who has no wins so far in his F1 career. On the other hand, Ocon has a 2021 Grand Prix win in Hungary.
Moreover, an echo from the past could be the reason why Ocon signed the deal with Haas in the first place. Not too far of a stretch but this has something (or everything) to do with team principal Ayao Komatsu. So, what is the story behind the Ocon-Komatsu connection?
