Esteban Ocon: « It feels good to be where I am today »

The stakes are high for Esteban Ocon in 2025. He must convince his new team, Haas F1 Team, that he can help them climb the constructors’ standings. The French driver spoke with *The Athletic* about his departure from Alpine and his first impressions with Haas.

His departure from Alpine

The reasons

Esteban Ocon explains that from the end of 2023, beginning of 2024, I wanted more exciting, different challenges, with different people. A change that was therefore desired by the French driver.

The sequence

If he does not regret his decision to look for another team, he would have wished his adventure with Alpine had ended differently: « I wanted to finish on a high note, complete the season, then do the off-season test with [Haas]. But I had no choice. » Indeed, he was replaced by Jack Doohan for the last race of the 2024 season. His last Grand Prix for Alpine was in Qatar: after a collision with Nico Hülkenberg, his race ended on the first lap. « This change will allow Esteban [Ocon] to drive for Haas during the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi », Alpine stated in an official release.

« Yes, I’m just sad for the people who worked for me these past five years. I wish the best for this team. But for me, it’s time to move on and open a new chapter. » So Esteban Ocon still had to find a new team.

An assumed choice

The driver assures that he did not hesitate regarding this choice: « It became very clear to me that the best and most exciting future for me would be with Haas. » The Norman stated that this decision was motivated by his affinity for the team’s director. « I immediately knew that I wanted to work with Ayao [Komatsu], having known him for so many years. »

A promising team

For Esteban Ocon, his new team is on the right track in terms of development. It’s very exciting [to be at Haas] because there are big plans to expand the team and make it evolve. They have already shown that it worked successfully last year, and we will continue on this trajectory, trying to do better than last year. The development is going well, he adds.

His feelings

« I thought there would be a lot more difficult things, Ocon marvels. He adds, however, that he is giving himself time to find his place: « I don’t want to set goals for myself yet. » Despite this adaptation period, « It feels good to be where I am today. »

Simulator training

In a sport where testing is highly regulated to ensure fairness between teams, the use of simulators for training is very important. Esteban Ocon shares his perspective on these training days with his new team.

« The simulator is like a full test day. You’re in the car from nine to five, and you only come out at lunchtime just to go to the bathroom. Then, you go back and come out at five to go to the bathroom again. That’s it. Otherwise, you stay there all day, which is quite good. » As for the usefulness of these days, he states that they are necessary to « eliminate certain elements that could be difficult or tricky, and we’ve managed to do that, which is a big victory. »

Esteban Ocon is also very satisfied with the quality of the equipment designed by Ferrari: “It’s really great because we have access to one of the best facilities in the world. Ferrari has invested a lot of money in its facilities, and we can use part of their factory, which is fantastic for us,” he explains enthusiastically.

Finally, regarding the visible results thanks to the simulator, Ocon explains: « It works really well, and I hope that when we put the car on the track, it will be similar to what we have seen on the simulator. »

Hopes at Haas

These first impressions suggest good results for 2025: “I am very satisfied with the way we work with the team and our improvements,” says Ocon. His new team is for him a “big family,” but also “the most promising team for the future.”

What he can offer them

Esteban Ocon defines himself as « a very dedicated person, super motivated towards his goal, and a fierce competitor. » If the 2024 season was very complicated for Alpine, the driver is optimistic for the future at Haas and « hopes that 2025 will realize my dream or that some of the wishes I’ve had for a very long time will come true. »