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Ocon Rejects Driver-Blame as Haas Tests 2027 Candidates

Haas faces fresh pressure after Monza upgrades failed to cure the VF-26's inconsistent weekend performance.

Overview

  • On Friday, Sept. 11, Esteban Ocon said Haas' problems come from the car's mechanical and aerodynamic inconsistency and not from driver performance.
  • Ocon confirmed he is in talks with Haas about 2027 and urged that TPC tests of other drivers should not be read as a final judgement on his seat.
  • Haas has run Monza aerodynamic upgrades that drivers described as positive but which have not stopped the VF-26 behaving differently between the two team cars on the same weekend.
  • The team recently used Portimão TPC tests to evaluate Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Camara as possible 2027 options.
  • Haas is enduring a multi-race point-less run that matches its worst stretch since 2021 and the combination of on-track inconsistency and driver evaluations raises the likelihood that next season's line-up will depend on sustained car performance rather than single results.