Haas confirm signing of Esteban Ocon with Frenchman to partner Ollie Bearman in 2025

Haas have signed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon on a multi-year contract to partner rookie Ollie Bearman in 2025.

The team announced last week that Kevin Magnussen would be leaving at the end of the season, leaving a vacant seat that was widely believed to have been allocated to 27-year-old Ocon.

ANALYSIS: Why Haas singled out Ocon as the man they wanted – and what it says about the team's project

On Thursday in Belgium, ahead of the final race before the break and at the track where Ocon made his F1 debut in 2016, Haas announced Ocon would become the first Grand Prix winner to race one of their cars since they entered the sport in 2016.

Ocon has 146 career starts under his belt and has driven for Manor, Force India, Renault and Alpine – scoring 425 points in that period including three podiums, one of which was his maiden win in Hungary in 2021.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 18: Esteban Ocon of France and Alpine F1 looks on in the Paddock during — Esteban Ocon has driven for Manor, Force India, Renault and Alpine in his Formula 1 career so far

The Frenchman has previous with Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, as the Japanese boss engineered Ocon in his first F1 test back in 2014 with Lotus (which now operates under the Alpine banner) at Valencia.

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

“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 and I look forward to welcoming Esteban into Haas for 2025.”

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 20: Oliver Bearman of Great Britain and Haas F1 team walks in the paddock — Ocon will partner rookie Ollie Bearman in 2025

Owner Gene Haas added: “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.

“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 capitalise on as we look for increased performance gains on-track. We have a blend of youth and experience in our future driver line-up and I’m excited to see the results.”

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 10 years ago.

“Haas 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.”