Esteban Ocon has publicly denied allegations that his departure from Haas during the Mexico City Grand Prix was due to a physical altercation with team principal Ayao Komatsu. The French driver, 30, acknowledged a disagreement but firmly rejected claims of violence, stating that he believes in resolving conflicts with professionalism and respect.
Ocon’s statement followed a report from France’s L’Equipe, which suggested that a meeting between him and Komatsu “ended abruptly, perhaps even physically.” The controversy arose after Ocon had a heated exchange with his race engineer, Laura Mueller, regarding tyre strategy during the second practice session on Friday. Ocon insisted on using soft tyres, despite being informed that the team had switched to medium tyres, leading to a tense discussion.
Haas has not provided further details about the incident but confirmed that Ocon would not participate in the remainder of the Mexico weekend. This decision comes after the team announced last month that Ocon would leave Haas at the end of the season, with Brazilian driver Rafael Camara set to take his place. Camara is currently leading the Formula 2 championship and is part of the Ferrari driver development programme.
In his statement, Ocon emphasized his condemnation of violence and called for professionalism in handling disagreements. He requested that speculation surrounding the incident be avoided while the matter is addressed, promising further updates in due course. As of now, it remains unclear whether Ocon will race for Haas again this season.
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