Haas F1’s Ayao Komatsu addresses the controversy sparked by Esteban Ocon’s recent on-track incident.
Haas F1 Team Principal Ayao Komatsu defended his decision to sign the talented yet sometimes controversial Esteban Ocon for 2025.
This move sidelines the team’s longtime Danish driver, Kevin Magnussen, and pairs the current Alpine driver with rookie Oliver Bearman next year and beyond.
“I think Esteban has proven what he can do,” Komatsu stated.
“He has scored many points and won a race. He has already achieved a lot.”
“Again, his duel with Fernando Alonso at Alpine was quite impressive. And he’s only 27 years old—he still has a lot to offer. I think he has incredible determination and work ethic.”
However, Ocon is regularly involved in highly controversial on-track incidents with his own F1 teammates—and he fell out with the management at Alpine this year.
Many in the paddock view the Frenchman as a driver with a bad reputation for playing the team game.
“It had to be taken into account,” Komatsu admitted. “So I can’t say I didn’t notice it.”
The Japanese team boss was then specifically asked about Ocon’s clash with Pierre Gasly in Monaco this year, which sparked speculation that Ocon could be immediately ousted or internally banned from a race.
“It was a serious incident, it certainly did not go unnoticed,” Komatsu remarked. “So I spoke to him. I still made the decision. If I wasn’t convinced, I wouldn’t have done it.”
He suggested that managing the ambitions of highly competitive drivers is precisely the role of team leadership.
“It largely depends on transparency, trust, and clear boundaries. I think problems arise when trust between the team and the driver is broken.”
“I’ve been in Formula 1 for a long time. My experience as a race engineer, engineering director, and now team director is that you need transparency, absence of personal bias, clear objectives, instructions on how to behave during race weekends.”
“If it’s discussed in advance with completely transparent communication, there will be trust. I have never had issues escalate when there is trust.”
“So personally, I am not worried. If I were worried, I wouldn’t have chosen this duo. Because it’s my responsibility to ensure both drivers work in the best interest of our team. I have no doubt Esteban and Ollie will do that.”
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Ocon’s Incident Not Missed, Says Haas F1 Boss Ocon’s Incident Not Missed, Says Haas F1 Boss
