Why Haas singled out Ocon as the man they wanted

Haas have done their driver business for the following season earlier than ever before, signing one-time race winner Esteban Ocon alongside rookie Ollie Bearman before the summer break.

It is a measure of how exciting a prospect Haas are right now, with 27-year-old Ocon – a veteran of 146 starts – committing to a team that has yet to score a podium in eight-and-a-half years despite also having interest from rivals Sauber/Audi and Williams.

Why did Ocon choose Haas?

Ocon has been mulling his future since the turn of the year. The Frenchman’s contract with current team Alpine runs until the end of this season and it had started to become clear that, in their fifth campaign together, both were starting to move in different directions.

While Alpine were keen to change things up but leaning towards keeping Pierre Gasly rather than Ocon, Ocon was talking to several other teams about a seat that he hoped could give him a fresh start.

Alpine's French driver Esteban Ocon arrives on the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, — Esteban Ocon had been mulling his future since the turn of the year

Ocon performed strongly against double world champion Fernando Alonso across two seasons together and, while he has been edged out fractionally by Gasly both last year and this season so far, and at times had a fractious relationship with his team mate, he has nonetheless earned admirers from elsewhere on the grid.

Ocon, then, could afford to be choosy. Managed by Mercedes, his team assessed the options, and that included chatting to the likes of Sauber/Audi and Williams – the Frenchman (who is 6ft 1ins) even having a seat fit at the latter to see if he could physically fit in the car.

But Haas was always his frontrunner. He knows Ayao Komatsu well, the Japanese Team Principal having engineered Ocon in his first Formula 1 test with Lotus at Valencia in 2014. He trusts him and welcomed Komatsu’s strong chase of him. It made him feel wanted.

In joining Haas as their first-ever race-winning driver alongside rookie Bearman, Ocon will be the de facto team leader – and the Frenchman will feed off that as he still has a big point to prove in F1.

It’s a very different environment to that of a works manufacturer. Haas is a smaller, independent team focused only on racing in F1. The place has a family feel about it and there’s less politics. It’s this atmosphere that allowed Kevin Magnussen to excel after tough stints at McLaren and Renault.

Haas are also fighting for P6 in the constructors’ championship and look to be going from strength to strength under the leadership of Komatsu. If they continue that trajectory, Ocon will have the chance to shine.

Why did Haas want Ocon?

Sources say Komatsu was clear several months ago that Ocon was the driver he wanted to race alongside Bearman in 2025.

He knows Ocon well and is clear in his mind what the Frenchman can achieve if he has the right environment around him.

With highly-rated rookie Bearman in one seat, Komatsu knew he needed experience in the other and Ocon is an upgrade on Sauber/Audi bound Nico Hulkenberg.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 20: Ayao Komatsu of Japan and Haas during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand — Ayao Komatsu knows Ocon well having engineered the Frenchman in his first Formula 1 test with Lotus

I understand the deal was agreed a couple of months ago and the reason why it’s taken some time to announce is merely down to minor contract details, which is not unusual in F1.

That Haas were able to attract a race winner in Ocon, fending off competition from rivals Williams and soon to be works outfit Sauber/Audi is a huge shot in the arm for the American operation. For most of their time in F1, they’ve had to make do with the final picks in the driver market.

Ocon’s commitment to a multi-year deal shows confidence in the project, which in turn will help Haas look like a more attractive proposition to commercial partners.

He has also proved he can hit the ground running each time he’s started a new project – something that will be crucial in what is likely to be a tight midfield battle next year.

Komatsu will also be pleased to have sorted their driver line-up so early, as not only does it show belief in the project but also that owner Gene Haas backs his decisions.