Haas F1’s Esteban Ocon sits 16th in Pit Debrief’s Driver Rankings for the 2025 F1 season. The Frenchman joined the team this year following a 5-year spell with Renault and Alpine and lined up alongside rookie Ollie Bearman. Bringing valuable experience to the team, Ayao Komatsu’s signing of Ocon and Bearman has seemingly steered the outfit in a more positive direction since Guenther Steiner’s departure back in 2023.
Heading into 2026, Haas finished the year 8th in the Constructors’ Championship with 79 points. As Ocon adapted to a new team and environment, here’s a closer look at how his season unfolded.
A loss in Qualifying head-to-head
Up against a rookie, the expectation was that Ocon’s experience would see him clearly establish himself as team leader. Instead, the Frenchman found himself up against a fast young talent. The margins between him and Bearman fluctuated throughout the season. However, he was ultimately beaten in the Qualifying head-to-head (10-14).
In 2025, Ocon had reached Q3 only on 3 occasions: Miami, Monaco and Abu Dhabi. He has also lost the Sprint Qualifying head-to-head to Bearman (2-4). However, it is worth crediting that his strongest Saturdays came in Monaco and Abu Dhabi, where he qualified P8 for both races.
Compared to Bearman, Ocon appeared to struggle more to consistently string together the clean laps that were required from him to progress through to the next part of Qualifying. Facing a rookie who had already impressed with his one-off appearances last season, Ocon will be hoping for greater consistency and stronger Qualifying form in 2026.
He did, however, consistently complain about issues with the brakes and the car for quite some time post-summer break.
An equal finish in the race head-to-head
In races, Ocon ended the year unable to hold an advantage over his teammate in the main race head-to-head. In 2025, he’d finished the season 15th in the Drivers’ Standings with 38 points. The Frenchman scored points on nine occasions across the season, with his best result being a P5 finish in China at the second round of the year. However, he again came out second best in the Sprint Race head-to-head , losing 2-4 to Bearman. From the British GP through to the US GP, Ocon endured a noticeable dip in form, scoring points in just one of eight races.
While sometimes strategy played a role in compromising Ocon’s chances of achieving better race results, his less competitive Qualifying performances frequently left him on the back foot. Ultimately, this made it difficult to fight consistently for points — especially in such a tightly contested midfield the season turned out to be.
General consensus on Ocon’s first year at Haas
Finishing 15th in the Drivers’ Standings — two places behind his rookie teammate in 13th — was not the outcome an experienced driver like Ocon would have hoped for. The 2025 season marked his 10th year in the sport. Nonetheless, 2026 marks a new chapter and beginning for all drivers. The Frenchman’s journey with Haas continues into next year and he will undoubtedly be aiming for more. With a new set of regulations arriving next season, the one-time race winner would definitely be targeting a step forward and greater success in his second year with the team.
