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Alpine frustrations and lack of clarity led to Ocon’s Haas switch

Frustration with a lack of improvement at Alpine was one of the main reasons Esteban Ocon opted to make the switch to Haas, where the Frenchman sees a clear set of future plans. Ocon announced earlier this year that he would be leaving Alpine at the …

Frustration with a lack of improvement at Alpine was one of the main reasons Esteban Ocon opted to make the switch to Haas, where the Frenchman sees a clear set of future plans.

Ocon announced earlier this year that he would be leaving Alpine at the end of this season following five years with the team, with his move to Haas confirmed ahead of the summer break. Amid discussions to close down Renault’s power unit program and with a third team principal in a many years set to start work at Alpine, the team has been unsettled for some time and the technical issues stood out to Ocon as particularly frustrating.

“The decision for me was quite clear quite a long time ago that I wanted a new challenge,” Ocon said. “I wanted to write my own story, and obviously five years in Formula 1 with the same team is a long time in Formula 1 terms.

“We’ve achieved good things; we’ve achieved things a little bit more difficult at times, but yes for sure this season has been frustrating. It’s not a secret to anyone — no one’s happy inside the team with where we are, and there hasn’t been enough of an improvement on some terms and on some technical issues that we had years ago.

“That circle of technical development and improvement, we haven’t been on top of that and we are facing the issues that we had three years ago with the current car, which is not possible in terms of the Formula 1 world.

“But I wish this team the best. We have achieved together my first podium, my first win, and it’s always going to remain special to my heart. I wish them the best for the future but before that we still have a half a season to finish and I hope that I can do my best to finish on a high with this team.”

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In contrast, Ocon says he was impressed by the clear vision that Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has for the coming years, as well as the more recent examples of progress that have resulted in Haas climbing to seventh in the constructors’ championship.

“There’s been a lot of conversations going around the paddock, that is quite clear,” he said. “These conversations started quite a long time ago — mid-season of 2023 is really when they started, but Ayao really convinced me with his words. He’s a person that has a lot of experience in Formula 1, that I’ve been working with from my first steps into Formula 1 as well when I was testing for the first time 10 years ago, and I even know him from a lot longer than that.

“So when we sat down for the first time he explained to me his plans going forward, which were very clear. They [Haas] have a clear target, which is still in humble terms — not showing off, which is what I like as well, but they have very clear plans of improving and they are already starting that, as you can see this year.

“They have been clearly improving their performance, the car itself, and the plans are obviously quite big and quite impressive looking forwards. So it was a decision that I obviously took that I’m very happy with and I’m very excited.”

Ocon confirmed at Haas for 2025 on multi-year deal

Esteban Ocon’s move to Haas has been confirmed, with the Frenchman signing a multi-year deal to race for the team from 2025 onwards. Haas will have an all-new lineup in 2025, having already announced Oliver Bearman as one of its race drivers next …

Esteban Ocon’s move to Haas has been confirmed, with the Frenchman signing a multi-year deal to race for the team from 2025 onwards.

Haas will have an all-new lineup in 2025, having already announced Oliver Bearman as one of its race drivers next season following news of Nico Hulkenberg’s switch to Stake, and Kevin Magnussen also leaving the team. Ocon’s departure from Alpine was confirmed in June and he will become the first grand prix winner to race for Haas since its debut in Formula 1, with the 27-year-old linking up again with Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu.

“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter in my Formula 1 career and join MoneyGram Haas F1 Team from the start of the 2025 season,” Ocon said. “I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me. 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 ten years ago. MoneyGram Haas F1 Team 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.”

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Komatsu also references the first run for Ocon in an F1 car, and says the fact he has built up so much experience at such a young age — approaching 150 grand prix starts — is one of the reasons he wanted to sign the Frenchman.

“I’m delighted we’ve secured Esteban Ocon’s services for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team,” Komatsu said. “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.

“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. 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 organization. It was vital we had a driver with experience in 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.”

Team owner Gene Haas was pushing for an experienced driver who could combine performance with a history of success to partner Bearman, who will be entering his rookie season next year.

“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,” Haas said. “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 capitalize on as we look for increased performance gains on-track.

“We have a blend of youth and experience in our future driver lineup and I’m excited to see the results.”

Magnussen to lose Haas race seat at end of 2024

Kevin Magnussen will lose his race seat at Haas at the end of the current season, the team has confirmed. The Dane has driven for Haas for all but two of its seasons in Formula 1, joining for its second year in place of Esteban Gutierrez and then …

Kevin Magnussen will lose his race seat at Haas at the end of the current season, the team has confirmed.

The Dane has driven for Haas for all but two of its seasons in Formula 1, joining for its second year in place of Esteban Gutierrez and then losing his drive in 2021 when the team opted for an all-rookie lineup. Haas turned to Magnussen again in 2022 but has now confirmed it will be his last season with the team as it opts for a fresh pairing next season.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team — I’m proud to have raced for such a great team of people these last few years,” Magnussen said. “In particular I’d like to thank Gene Haas for his commitment to me, notably in bringing me back once again in 2022 when I thought, at that time at least, my time in Formula 1 had ended. I’ve enjoyed some great moments with this team — memories I’ll never forget.

“While I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my racing career, I remain fully focused on giving everything I’ve got for the rest of 2024 with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.”

Haas has been linked with Esteban Ocon as a potential replacement for the 31-year-old, with an experienced driver the expected target to partner rookie Ollie Bearman in 2025 and Ocon’s departure from Alpine also already public. While there is so far no confirmation of who will take the second seat, team principal Ayao Komatsu suggests there could still be a role of some kind on offer to Magnussen in future.

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“I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team — both on and off the track,” Komatsu said. “He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver lineup over the years. Nobody’s driven more races for us and we’ve had some memorable highlights together — not least a remarkable fifth place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 when Kevin returned to start his second spell
with the team.

“He wasn’t expecting to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend, but he put in a remarkable performance that was a tremendous boost to the entire organization and once again showcased his own talents behind the wheel.

“There’s plenty of racing to go this year so I’m looking forward to seeing what else we can achieve with Kevin as we push together in the championship. Beyond that, and with Kevin’s special relationship with the team, I’m hoping we can find a way to keep working together in some capacity.

“We can hopefully define that in the near future, but his extensive experience in Formula 1 and knowledge of our working operations are undoubtedly of value in our on-going growth and development.”

Haas deal a relief to Bearman amid tough F2 run

Oliver Bearman admits there was a sense of relief when he finally signed his Haas contract earlier this week because he felt his Formula 2 results left a question mark over his future. Haas confirmed Bearman as one of its race drivers for 2025 on …

Oliver Bearman admits there was a sense of relief when he finally signed his Haas contract earlier this week because he felt his Formula 2 results left a question mark over his future.

Haas confirmed Bearman as one of its race drivers for 2025 on Thursday morning at the British Grand Prix, with the 19-year-old singing a multi-year contract. Ahead of an FP1 appearance at his home race alongside his F2 duties, Bearman admits the tough season he’s had so far in F2 — sitting 14th in the standings and with his first win only coming in Austria last weekend — had raised some personal doubts until his deal was finalized.

“I felt like I’ve been performing well since the beginning in free practices, and obviously every time I’ve driven with Haas, I did the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, I’ve always got out of the car feeling like I’ve put in a good image of myself,” Bearman said. “I performed in a way that I was proud of, which is important to me. I knew that if I continue to do that, hopefully I would do enough to get an F1 seat. I’m happy that it’s confirmed and it’s finally the case.

“Honestly, [I wasn’t certain] until it was finally confirmed after Red Bull Ring on Sunday, because you know in F1, until you put a pen on a piece of paper, it’s not really official. So I knew that it was, we were working towards it, and we were pretty much getting there for a while. But you can never celebrate too soon, because F1 is a fast-moving world and you’re only as good as your last race.

“I was of course relieved when it finally came about, and I shared that moment with my manager, who has been with me all the way. That was quite an emotional moment.”

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Bearman believes his performance as a late replacement for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year was crucial to convincing both Haas and Ferrari of his capabilities for a full seat.

“I do feel like the F1 running carried a lot of weight. Of course the race in Saudi, first of all, but even in my free practices and all my testing, it’s always been going pretty well,” Bearman said. “That for me carried a bit more weight. I think for the people that mattered, it also carried a bit more weight. But there’s no way of hiding behind the fact that in F2, it continues to be a little bit more difficult, and that always leaves a question mark in the back of your mind.

“I think the Saudi performance was really the stars aligning moment that made my step into F1 possible. Because I think without that, it would really have been difficult, especially with how it’s going at the moment. So that really, really helped me. And also for my own confidence, because you never really know how you’re going to perform until you race against real F1 drivers, and that was my opportunity and I felt like I did a decent job.”

Haas confirms Bearman in 2025 race seat on multi-year deal

Haas has confirmed Oliver Bearman will race for the team in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal. Bearman is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and currently a Ferrari and Haas reserve, but has been carrying out multiple FP1 sessions to prepare …

Haas has confirmed Oliver Bearman will race for the team in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal.

Bearman is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and currently a Ferrari and Haas reserve, but has been carrying out multiple FP1 sessions to prepare him for a future race seat. Bearman also impressed with a one-off outing for Ferrari earlier this year, replacing the unwell Carlos Sainz in Jeddah and finishing seventh after just one practice session, and he has now been officially confirmed that he will be one of the two Haas race drivers next season.

“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” Bearman said. “To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud. To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.

“To Gene [Haas], Ayao [Komatsu] and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.

“To Fred [Vasseur], Marco [Matassa], Jock [Clear], Alessandro [Vantini] and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”

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Bearman is effectively taking the position of the outgoing Nico Hulkenberg next year, and team principal Komatsu says he has proven his potential in F1 machinery already over the past year.

“It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1,” Komatsu said. “He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons. We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent — both inside and outside of the car.

“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”

Team owner Gene Haas says it’s Bearman’s talent rather than the Ferrari relationship that has led to Haas selecting the 19-year-old for 2025, with the team having been working with the British driver long before he made his eye-catching performance in Jeddah.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in Formula 1 — he’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team,” Haas said.

“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond. This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent — both on and off-track — as we continue to compete at the highest level.”

Gene Haas to continue in NASCAR with new Haas Factory Team in 2025

Gene Haas will continue to have a presence in NASCAR next season under a new enterprise: Haas Factory Team. The news comes less than a month after Haas and Tony Stewart released a joint statement saying Stewart-Haas Racing will close its door at …

Gene Haas will continue to have a presence in NASCAR next season under a new enterprise: Haas Factory Team.

The news comes less than a month after Haas and Tony Stewart released a joint statement saying Stewart-Haas Racing will close its door at season’s end. Haas and Stewart have co-owned the team since 2009, fielding multiple cars in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series.

Haas, however, will keep one of the charters from the four-car NASCAR Cup Series program. The two-car NASCAR Xfinity Series team, which won the championship last season with Cole Custer, will also continue.

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“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said. “Operating a four-car Cup Series team has become too arduous but, at the same time, I still need a platform to promote Haas Automation and grow HaasTooling.com.

“Maintaining my presence in Cup allows Haas Automation to compete at NASCAR’s highest level, which is important to our customers and distributors. The Xfinity Series program provides a full weekend experience for our guests, and it delivers added depth and scale to our overall operation.”

There were no drivers or team partners announced for Haas Factory Team. A manufacturer was also not mentioned.

Joe Custer will be the president of Haas Factory Team, which will operate out of the existing Stewart-Haas Racing building. Custer is currently the co-president of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Custer and Riley Herbst drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series. Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece compete for the organization in the Cup Series.

UPDATED: Haas F1 cars excluded from Monaco GP qualifying over DRS breach

Both Haas F1 cars have been excluded from qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix after failing a technical check relating to their DRS. Nico Hulkenberg qualified in 12th place and Kevin Magnussen 15th as both drivers advanced to Q2, but were then found …

Both Haas F1 cars have been excluded from qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix after failing a technical check relating to their DRS.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified in 12th place and Kevin Magnussen 15th as both drivers advanced to Q2, but were then found to not be in conformity with the technical regulations after the end of the session.

FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer’s findings read:

“The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked on car numbers 20 and 27. The left-hand side and right-hand side outermost area of the of the adjustable elements were exceeding the maximum allowed 85mm on both cars. As this is not in compliance with TR Article 3.10.10 h), I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

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After an investigation from the stewards, Haas admitted it had made an operational error with new parts brought to this race, configuring them in the same way they had the previous rear wing at earlier races.

“The team explained that this was the consequence of an inadvertent error on their part in setting the wing flap gap. The wing used was a new design that was used for the first time in Monaco. The old design was set to be compliant with the regulations with the largest gap measured from the center of the wing. Under the new design, the largest gap was at the extremities of the wing but the team had not trained its mechanics to set the gap per the new design, resulting in the non-compliance.

“The duty to comply strictly with the Technical Regulations rests at all times with the Competitor. The team suggested that there was no performance advantage gained by the non-compliance. Article 1.3.3 of the International Sporting Code makes it clear that this is irrelevant.

“The team was candid in admitting its error. The wing was otherwise compliant with the Technical Regulations and the FIA technical team confirmed that they were satisfied with the team’s explanation for the error.”

As the exclusion leads to both cars not having valid lap times in qualifying, they have been permitted to start the race at the back of the grid by the stewards due to satisfactory performance shown during practice sessions this weekend.

Magnussen fighting for Haas future – Komatsu

Kevin Magnussen is fighting for his future at Haas but helped his cause with a strong performance in Imola, according to team principal Ayao Komatsu. Nico Hulkenberg has already announced his departure from Haas at the end of this season, heading to …

Kevin Magnussen is fighting for his future at Haas but helped his cause with a strong performance in Imola, according to team principal Ayao Komatsu.

Nico Hulkenberg has already announced his departure from Haas at the end of this season, heading to Stake before it becomes Audi in 2026. Magnussen has been part of the Haas lineup for all but two of the seasons the team has raced in Formula 1 so far, but with the likes of Ollie Bearman heavily linked with a drive and multiple other experienced names available on the market, Komatsu says the Dane’s place is under threat.

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“Yes [he’s fighting for his seat],” Komatsu told SpeedCity Broadcasting. “I can’t say much but of course yes, he needs to perform. But then a drive like [Imola] is very, very good. So now Kevin needs to put the whole weekend together.”

Magnussen finished 12th in Imola, 8.5 seconds off Yuki Tsunoda in the final points-paying position, but Komatsu says a strategic team error cost him a chance of 10th.

“I think we could have got P10 for sure, especially with Kevin,” he said. “Kevin started from the back, but he had a good start, he had decent pace on the medium and we went long and were looking at the gap to [Guaynu] Zhou, and then we got the pit stop lap wrong.

“One lap too late, so we came out behind Zhou. It shouldn’t have happened, and if we came out in front of Zhou, with the pace he had, he would have got Tsunoda, I’m pretty sure. So that’s really frustrating.

“I think the good thing is [drivers are interested] because we are performing out on the track, but that’s why it’s so frustrating that we should have had P10, and then other people will see that we are a proper race team now. Our best chance to attract good drivers is through the on-track sporting stuff, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

However, pushed on names of who he might be in discussions with, Komatsu refused to make any of them public.

“I can’t, that would be very unfair to the people I am talking to,” he said. “You wouldn’t be happy if you were talking to me in confidence and I said I’m talking to you about something!”

Komatsu praises Hulkenberg’s impact on Haas after departure news

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the impact Nico Hulkenberg has had on the team following confirmation the German will leave to join the Audi Formula 1 project at the end of the season. Hulkenberg joined Haas in 2023 and duly scored nine of …

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the impact Nico Hulkenberg has had on the team following confirmation the German will leave to join the Audi Formula 1 project at the end of the season.

Hulkenberg joined Haas in 2023 and duly scored nine of the team’s 12 points last year, as well as making multiple appearances in Q3 as his qualifying performances stood out. This year has been similarly productive so far, with Hulkenberg scoring points in three of the first five races, but he will not stay with Haas beyond the end of his current contract in order to join Stake in 2025, one year before the team becomes Audi.

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With Haas showing a clear improvement in race performance this season — an area of struggle in 2023 — Komatsu says Hulkenberg has been central to that step forward.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Nico for his contributions to the team in the time that he’s been here with us – he’s been a great team player and someone we very much enjoy working with,” Komatsu said.

“His experience and feedback have proved invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance – a fact that’s clearly evident in both his qualifying and race performances in the VF-24 this season. There’s lots more racing to go this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his inputs throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.”

Haas says it will not name a replacement for Hulkenberg in the immediate future, although Ferrari reserve driver Ollie Bearman has been heavily linked with a race seat at Haas in 2025 following his FP1 outings and impressive one-off appearance for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last month.

Kevin Magnussen’s contract is also due to expire at the end of this season, with the Dane having been part of Haas’ lineup for all but two of the team’s years in F1.

How a missed opportunity in Japan bodes well for Haas season

While conceding that last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix was a missed opportunity to score points, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu believes it was a demonstration of an upward trajectory in potential for the rest of the 2024 season. Haas has scored …

Haas has scored in two of the first four races — including double points in Australia — but missed out at Suzuka where Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th. The German was 5.5 seconds behind Yuki Tsunoda at the checkered flag, having taken the restart after an early red flag in 10th place but gone rapidly backwards before Turn 1 and been left with significant ground to make up.

“Nico’s first start was very good, he made positions, but the second start he just didn’t drop the clutch correctly, so the anti-stall [kicked in] and he lost loads of positions,” Komatsu said. “So considering he came back from P18 or whatever it was to P11, 5.5s behind Tsunoda, if he can do that from there, if he didn’t have that mistake for sure he would have scored points.

“So that is frustrating and a missed opportunity. But the positive side is this circuit, in race four, is the worst for us so far. I always said we need to do four or five races to see where the car is. This [Suzuka] is the worst circuit by far, and if on the worst circuit you can do this, that’s very positive.”

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Kevin Magnussen also had his race compromised by losing positions during a pit stop, but in analyzing the overall form of Haas in the opening four rounds, Komatsu says the team can be encouraged even if it’s clear where improvements are needed.

“Ultimately, as you can see, high-speed downforce, we haven’t got enough,” he said. “So that’s what we need to improve, and then certain characteristics on front axle of the car we need to improve. But honestly, this is our worst circuit, so the encouraging thing is we can race this much on this circuit. I wasn’t expecting that.

“[In qualifying] I was staring at trying to get just one car into Q2, and for Nico to deliver P12 was amazing. I still felt it was going to be really tough even to stay in that position. But we went backwards once and he managed to recover that well — it was good.

“Operationally it wasn’t great, Kevin losing two positions. If it wasn’t for that I think Kevin had a very good chance to stay in front of Tsunoda, and for sure Nico without that disastrous start would have scored points. So that is really positive.”