Ocon: 'Bulls**t' rumours of Haas F1 exit causing real damage

A bewildered Esteban Ocon has rubbished the rumours of a relationship breakdown with his Formula 1 team Haas, describing them as "complete bullshit" and lamenting the "damage" speculation like this can cause.

Ocon spent a good chunk of his pre-weekend media session at the Canadian Grand Prix chuckling in disbelief at the speculation that had dominated the build-up to the Montreal weekend.

There had been claims - which Ocon has now decried as completely spurious - of a breakdown in the relationship between Ocon and team boss Ayao Komatsu, and of a possible mid-season split.

"Honestly... complete bullshit, to be honest. It's unbelievable!" vented Ocon giggling derisively from the very start of his session and through the next five minutes as he went over the topic.

"We were just talking with Ayao just now. The article I saw was calling him 'Ryo Komatsu', which is quite funny. And they were even saying that we had, like, a massive dispute in Miami.

"This is complete nonsense! Honestly, it's all fabricated and complete bullshit. As I said, I came to this team for the reason that I know Ayao since so long. I've got a great relationship with him. That's always been the case and there's nothing like what people have been saying going on. 

"It's completely not true. I'm fully focused on what I have to do, the job I have to do with the team. I'm fully on board with the team for the whole year. I've got a contract with the team. Ayao will tell you more later - but honestly, it's crazy how things have escalated! Honestly, it's been like- I try not to pay attention too much, but when it gets so big, it's almost like bullying in a way."

Ocon did come in from some public criticism over his 2025 performances from Komatsu in the off-season (which will also be explained partly by their existing relationship allowing for such a level of candour), and he has not had the easiest time against team-mate Ollie Bearman in his stint at Haas so far - but there has been no credible suggestion that he's in the firing line mid-season.

He said that there was nothing that should preclude himself and Haas from discussing a joint future - but, at just four rounds in, that "these chats happen in the summer, they always do".

"That 'dispute' about Miami, it's pretty crazy," he continued. "Obviously, we had a tough weekend after Miami, so we sat down with Ayao - but we discussed a lot of different things. How to maybe improve this, how to get better, what was going on with the car in the weekend. It was no- it just a normal conversation! 

"I don't know who's fabricating this, but I better not see this guy - because he's going to get a big one!

"So I don't think the person who has written this article is here right now - which is a shame! I didn't read the full thing, but as soon as I translated one article, I saw 'Ryo Komatsu, dispute in Miami,' I was like, 'well, I don't need to read more about it, to be fair'."

But despite Ocon emphasising how the gossip was patently ridiculous, he admitted it couldn't help but interfere with things.

"At the end of the day, I try not to pay attention to that too much - but that became so big for no reason, that I had to get a bit involved into it, our team, and we had to have a look and understand where that could have come from. 

"Obviously it's been relayed on all the s***ty medias that are there on socials. And, yeah, it became so big that obviously you can't just not notice it. If you live in a cave, maybe, but you can't.

"But as soon as we talked to the real people that are involved with the story, it's quite clear that it's complete bullshit. So you are obviously much more fine [relaxed] when the story is very clear inside - because [otherwise] it even gives you the doubt. 'Did we actually have a dispute?!' 

"Obviously, I'm human, so it does affect in a way, it does affect my family, it does affect the sponsors that are obviously counting on me and supporting me, for many races and seasons for some sponsors that I got. And it's disappointing to see, you know, that you can make such damage to a reputation of a driver in two or three days - while there's nothing founded, and these people would just get away with no issues. You know, they just fabricate stories, put all the s**t on your back, and it's all fine for them. It's quite crazy."

Ocon has scored just one point to Bearman's 16 this season so far, and is 1-5 down in the head-to-head qualifying (sprints included), with an average gap of two tenths.

The one-lap gap is clearly something to be addressed - but the points situation, Ocon believes, is a mirage.

"For me, it's very clear, the reasons on why I'm missing a lot of points compared to Ollie in the beginning of the season. The safety cars, is the full-stop reason. I'm not going to say I would have been in front of him in the championship, but at least I would have scored over 10 points easily in China and in Australia.

"The pace has been good, the work has been good. For a lot of different reasons I didn't score as many points as I should have, but the work that we are doing is decent and as long as this is happening, the results will come and that's the most important thing."