Esteban Ocon has had a ‘fallout’ with Haas boss Ayao Komatsu and Yuki Tsunoda could replace him

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Yuki Tsunoda is being mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas, after the Frenchman is reported to have fallen out with Ayao Komatsu.

Ocon is under huge pressure to retain his seat beyond 2026, with his contract due to expire this season. He was beaten by rookie teammate Oliver Bearman last season, and his performances are not sitting well with Haas.

What do you expect from Esteban Ocon in the 2026 F1 season?

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Haas are frustrated with Ocon’s results, having finished 15th with 38 points in 2025. So far in 2026, he has just one point to Bearman’s 17, sitting 16th in the standings after four races.

F1 fans think Haas will be Ocon’s ‘last seat’ in the sport, and his career could be over at the end of the season after he and team boss Komatsu clashed at the Miami Grand Prix.

Esteban Ocon could be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after falling out with Ayao Komatsu

Journalist Jacky Martens spoke on the Paddock Access podcast about Ocon and his future. He revealed that the Frenchman had a ‘fallout’ with Komatsu in Miami.

He said: “I heard they had a fallout again this weekend, Esteban Ocon and also with the team principal, with Komatsu.

“I don’t know. There’s something… Esteban Ocon, he had a lot of problems. There was a reason that they kicked him out at Alpine.

“But he’s an amazing driver. He’s one of the only few who can say that he actually beat Max Verstappen back in Formula 3. He’s lightning quick, but for some reason, it doesn’t work out for him at the moment.”

Asked if he could last the full season, Martens addressed rumours that Tsunoda could be in line to replace him: “There’s so many rumours at the moment in the paddock about potentially… then there’s already the link between Toyota, Yuki Tsunoda, Japanese driver. Maybe he will replace him.

“I think Honda is happy to let him go when he can have a seat in Formula 1. It’s the pinnacle of the sport in the end. But there’s an interesting situation there.”

READ MORE: Haas driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

What is Yuki Tsunoda’s best option for a Formula 1 return?

Following his exit from Red Bull at the end of the 2025 season, Tsunoda is serving as the team’s reserve driver. He is looking for a way back onto the grid, but his time with the Milton Keynes outfit, as a full-time driver, might be spent.

A return to Racing Bulls is also unlikely, meaning that he will have to leave the operation to land another seat. Helmut Marko snuffed out interest from Haas to sign Tsunoda for 2026, but the American outfit could become an option for 2027 if Ocon does not improve.

He could even be Bearman’s replacement, as Lewis Hamilton’s future in F1 is currently unclear beyond 2026. If he is to retire, then the young Brit will move to Ferrari, opening the door for Tsunoda to join Haas.

However, that is not his only option, as Tsunoda could replace Franco Colapinto at Alpine. With the team on the up under the new regulations, and with Mercedes engines, it could be his best way back onto the F1 grid.