Haas team principal makes his feelings known about Alpine's early release of Esteban Ocon
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has responded to claims about the Alpine team releasing Esteban Ocon for post-season testing. He has chosen to not comment on anything that has transpired within the French team regarding how it parted ways with Ocon before the last race of the season.
According to Autosport, Ocon only learned before the Qatar GP that he would be asked to step down ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP to make way for Jack Doohan, who will replace him at Alpine for the 2025 season. Alpine reportedly asked the French driver to either give up his seat for the following week's race, or he wouldn't be able to do the testing session with Haas. An agreement was reached Doohan ended up replacing Ocon for Alpine in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. When asked about this switch, Komatsu said (via Autosport):
"I wouldn't [have done it] but then again, whatever they do, it's got nothing to do with me."
Choosing to not comment on the decisions made by Alpine, Komatsu further went on to say in regards to how his competitor has handled its drivers.
"I'm not here to comment on what they do. I'm sure they have their own reasons. And then it's not my place to say anything."
Ocon joined the Enstone-based team when it was Renault in 2020 & stayed on when it became Alpine in 2021, winning the team its first race at the Hungarian GP in 2021. However, in 2025, he will move to Haas, having signed a multi-year contract.
In regards to why Komatsu picked Ocon to be one of his drivers for the next season, he mentioned (via Autosport):
"I think he's always been really motivated anyway, that's one of the big reasons why I signed him. He's a really determined character and his work ethic is good - regardless of if the car is quick enough or slow."
Esteban Ocon will race alongside Oliver Bearman for Haas in the 2025 season.
Esteban Ocon's farewell post to Alpine
Two days after the Qatar GP, Esteban Ocon took to social media to share a farewell post. He thanked the Alpine engineers, acknowledged his part in the team's successes, and mentioned that he would not be able to say goodbye to those who work at Alpine's headquarters in Enstone & the factory in Viry. He capped off his post by wishing Jack Doohan the best.
"I leave Alpine/Renault with great memories and the pride of having been the driver who brought the team’s best results since its return to the sport, climbing the top two steps of the podium in Bahrain, Hungary, and Brazil."
"The plan was always to race one last time this weekend and personally say goodbye to you all next week. I was looking forward to both of those things. This is not how I wanted things to end. That said, the world of F1 is small and I am sure I will see many of you again soon."
Esteban Ocon completed the one day post-season testing session in Abu Dhabi with a best lap of 1.24:305.