On September 30, 2026, Esteban Ocon made it public that his contract with Haas ends after this championship. He put the statement on X that morning, before the field heads to the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang. The official Formula 1 account confirmed it after his message appeared. As PlanetF1.com reported on September 23, Haas had already told him before the Azerbaijan weekend that 2027 would not include him. According to Reuters, both the driver and the team put that decision on the record on Wednesday.He is leaving the seat he took when he arrived from Alpine at the start of 2025. Oliver Bearman has been his teammate throughout. The season so far has left Esteban Ocon 16th, with Oliver Bearman 13 points further up the table. Ocon finished eighth in Baku. That was his first points finish since the Monaco Grand Prix. Haas is seventh in the constructors’ championship. Fifteen of 23 races have been completed. Ocon has scored points in 12 of his 39 races for the team. His strongest finish in those cars remains fifth in China last year. In Baku, he had already said he was a free agent for next year. Esteban Ocon's post on X read:"My time with Haas F1 Team will come to an end at the end of the 2026 season.I leave this project with my head held high and proud of my performances in what were not always the easiest of circumstances for various reasons and factors outside of my control.My immediate focus is the next race weekend."He continued:"I will continue to work hard with the team, maximise every opportunity, and keep extracting every bit of performance from the car. There are still many races to go this season and, as always, I will give it my everything behind the wheel for myself and for my team.I am still motivated. I am still hungry. This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career."Minutes later, Haas said TGR Haas F1 Team and Ocon will separate at the close of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and that no further driver announcement would come at this time.Esteban Ocon still has races left before the Haas chapter closesF1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan - Source: GettyAs reported by Sky Sports, team principal Ayao Komatsu responded with thanks."I'd like to thank Esteban for everything he's contributed to the team since joining us in 2025. His professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation."He continued:"Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban's driving experience and inputs were significant as we've worked hard to develop the VF-26 across the season. There's still plenty of racing ahead, and our focus remains on working together to maximise every opportunity through to the final race of the year."As reported by Motorsport, the two-year points tally stands at 45 for Esteban Ocon and 61 for Oliver Bearman. The 2026 qualifying score between them is 6-13. According to Formula1.com, Komatsu had said after 2025 that the team wanted more from Esteban Ocon than it got. The 2026 car, built for the new rules, gave Bearman seventh in Australia and fifth in China early in the year. Ocon's results arrived later, after the team had already fallen out of the weekly points fight.Haas uses Ferrari engines. The team races as TGR Haas F1 Team and also has a technical partnership with Toyota. Komatsu first worked with Ocon as his engineer on a Lotus test in 2014. When the 2025 deal was signed, Esteban Ocon became the first race winner Haas had put on its grid.Haas has tested other drivers in older cars. According to Formula1.com, Rafael Camara, Leonardo Fornaroli, Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa all took part. Camara is a Ferrari junior and currently leads the Formula 2 championship. He is the driver most often linked with Esteban Ocon's seat for 2027, alongside Oliver Bearman. Haas has not confirmed whether Bearman will stay for a third season.As reported by Fox Sports Australia, Doohan completed a private test this month. He started seven Grands Prix for Alpine in 2024 and 2025, then became Haas's reserve driver.According to Formula1.com, most 2027 race seats are already filled. Racing Bulls and Cadillac are among the teams that have not confirmed both drivers. If Ocon does not get a race seat, a reserve role is the most commonly reported option. As per Formula1.com, he wants to stay in Formula 1 and is not looking at other championships. After he finished eighth in Baku, he told reporters he has won in karting, Formula Renault, GP3, Formula 3, and Formula 1, and that he will keep pushing. The next race is in Malaysia.