MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has completed its 2025 driver line-up with the announcement that Esteban Ocon, currently of BWT Alpine F1 Team, has been signed on a multi-year contract. This comes after weeks of speculation that the Frenchman would be joining the Kannapolis-based team, following the announcement of his departure from Alpine after the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.
Speaking in his written media session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Ocon was asked what factors led him to choose Haas as his future team.
He stated that the conversation around his move from Alpine had been ongoing, having started during the 2023 season, but that he had been most convinced by Ayao Komatsu, who he described as having “a lot of experience in Formula 1” and with whom he had worked with when he drove an F1 car for the first time in 2014 as a Lotus junior driver. Komatsu was an engineer at the team at that point.
“Yes, there’s been, obviously, a lot of conversation going around the paddock. That is quite clear. This conversation started quite a long time ago, already mid-season of 23. That’s really when things started.
“But Ayao [Komatsu] really convinced me with his words. He’s a person that has a lot of experience in Formula 1, that I’ve been working [with], you know, on my first steps into Formula 1 as well, when I was testing for the first time ten years ago. And I even know him from a lot longer than that.”
Ocon stated that the Japanese team principal had been clear about his plans and objectives for the team from their first meeting.
The 28-year-old said that he had appreciated this clarity but added that he had also liked that the team had appeared to be humble in their aspirations and had refrained from “showing off” despite them having already started to make progress towards their set targets.
“So, when we sat down for the first time, he explained [to] me about his plans going forward, which were very clear. They have a clear target, which is still in humble terms, not showing off, which is what I like as well. But they have very clear plans of improving from where they are from, and they are already starting that, as you can see.
“This year, they’ve been clearly improving their performance, the car itself, and the plans are obviously quite big and quite impressive looking forward.”
“It was a decision that I took that I’m very happy with, and I’m very excited. It’s a great challenge, a new adventure for me, after five years with this team [Alpine]. I look forward to finishing this season on a high, as best as I can for the team, and start the collaboration next year.”
The Frenchman was also asked whether the smaller size of Haas, as compared to some of the bigger teams, including Alpine, has been an appealing factor for him in his considerations.
“I’ve had experience with both ends, racing with Force India back then, working with Mercedes later on, and working here, and I will be working with Haas in the future,” Ocon said, adding that he believed that Haas was doing “an incredible” job despite being smaller than many other teams on the grid.
“You know, they are doing an incredible job at the moment. There are about 300 working so far, but they are doing better than teams with double, triple, quadruple the size, which is remarkable, and the plans going forward are also very appealing, so I look forward.”
Ocon also spoke about how Haas’ recent upswing in performance had factored into his decision-making. He stated that the improved performances had confirmed the viability of Komatsu’s plans, and as such, his decision had been a “no-brainer”.
Haas sits P7 in the Constructors’ Championship at present, five points adrift of RB after very strong results in Austria and Silverstone.
“It does confirm what Ayao is putting in place, basically. You know, of course, when you say something, but then you have the fact on track, it’s just very clear and very straightforward.
“So yeah, to me, it was a no-brainer, to take that decision. And yeah, I’m very happy with my choice and very happy with how we are going to move forward.”
