F1 driver now facing ‘frustration’ within his team over 2026 performances as contract decision looms

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Formula 1 teams will already be keeping a very close look at the driver market, even though only two race weekends have been completed this season.

There is a chance that F1 tries an unprecedented quadruple header later this season, but if the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix aren’t rescheduled, then there are only 20 rounds left this season for out-of-contract drivers to impress.

That sounds like a lot, but it would only take one major move in the driver market in the upcoming April break to set off a chain reaction similar to the one started by Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

A brilliant P5 for Ollie Bearman in China!

What do you think is his ceiling at Haas in 2026?

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Max Verstappen is unhappy with the current regulations, and if he seeks an exit from Red Bull, then that would cause chaos, while Fernando Alonso’s long-term future at Aston Martin is up for discussion.

One driver who has really struggled compared to his teammate this year is Haas star Esteban Ocon.

Journalist Chris Medland has now shared more details about the pressure Ocon is already under and how Haas need to capitalise on their strong start to 2026.

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

Esteban Ocon facing ‘some frustration within the team’ after tough start to 2026 F1 season

Medland was being interviewed by Off The Ball and asked about Haas’ impressive points tally after the Chinese Grand Prix. He said: “I mean, right now they sit fourth, don’t they, ahead of Red Bull in the championship, and it’s been a cracking start.

“But similarly, I think there’s been a bit left on the table because, as good as Ollie Bearman’s been, Esteban Ocon hasn’t always maximised opportunities.

“He’s shown flashes of pace, but he’s not put it all together. In China, obviously, he collided with Franco Colapinto, fighting over solid points at that stage, and it meant he didn’t get any.

Name the one driver you think is most likely to lose their F1 seat in 2026 👇

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“I do think there’s actually some frustration within the team that we’ve got a car and a platform here, that’s good enough, and realistically, two drivers we thought were good enough to get solid points all the time, and only one of them’s doing the job.

“That could come back to hurt them if people catch them up later in the year. So that’s the bit where I wonder whether Haas will stay up there.

“It’s funny you mentioned Williams there because it’s so easy to then forget how well a team starts, and we have recency bias. Look at Carlos Sainz last year. Everyone talks about what a great season he had with the podiums at the end of the year, the points he got, but Alex Albon outscored him because his first part of the season was brilliant, but everyone forgot that by the end of the year, how strong he’d been.

“And I think poor Haas might find themselves if they can’t maintain this, forgotten about how well they started this season, if others do overtake them later on.”

READ MORE: All to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari and Toyota ties

Esteban Ocon’s Franco Colapinto crash denies him his first points of the 2026 season

Ocon’s contract at Haas expires at the end of the season, and team principal Ayao Komatsu has already started putting the pressure on the Frenchman.

Komatsu admitted he expected more from Ocon when he joined from Alpine last season, and the signing of Jack Doohan over the winter break means Haas have an F1-ready driver at their disposal if he doesn’t improve.

He was on course to score points at the Chinese Grand Prix before crashing into the back of Franco Colapinto as the Alpine driver exited the pit lane.

Colapinto still managed to go on and score his first points since the 2024 United States GP, but Ocon was penalised and took full responsibility for the incident.

Speaking after the race, Ocon said in his official post-season debrief: “We were on for a very good race, looking at the pace we had on the hard tyre.

“It’s the second race in a row that we’ve picked up the Safety Car or virtual safety car at the wrong time while in a points-paying position, so it just didn’t go our way today.

“I made a mistake with Franco and misjudged the gap, but we had some good fights throughout the race until then, so it’s a shame that it ended that way.”