Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has vehemently denied rumours about an alleged falling out between himself and F1 driver Esteban Ocon ahead of the 2026 Canadian GP.
Speaking to media on Thursday, Komatsu addressed recent reports suggesting Ocon is headed for an early departure from Haas amid rising tensions between the driver and the team boss. It was speculated that Yuki Tsunoda could potentially arrive as a replacement, given the partnership between Toyota Gazoo Racing, a motorsport division of the Japanese manufacturer, and the American racing team.
Asked about the rumours, Ocon insisted that the stories were “fabricated” and reiterated his commitment to the team, with Komatsu also using his 2026 Canadian GP print media session to set the record straight.
“I honestly don’t know where that story came from. No idea,” Komatsu stated.
“So, I don’t know…this Brazilian journalist was quoted, right? I have no idea. No foundation whatsoever.”
The Haas boss didn’t mince his words, slamming the speculation as “absolute bullshit.”
Komatsu continued: “So, if somebody wants to write that kind of bullshit, feel free, but fucking hell, is that journalism? I have no idea. It’s terrible. What are they trying to achieve? It’s crazy. No foundation whatsoever.
“I don’t know, have any of you heard me saying anything like that? Yes or no? No. Right. It’s incredible.”
Claims of a Miami row between Komatsu and Ocon dismissed as “bullshit”
Komatsu confirmed he’d spoken to Ocon after arriving in Montreal for the Canadian GP. “I spoke to him this morning, but for me there’s nothing to defend from our side whatsoever.
“It’s incredible. Part of it is that apparently I had some issue with Esteban in Miami. Where’s that come from? I didn’t even have a single argument with Esteban in Miami.
“It’s just amazing how completely this bullshit gets smoked up, and then because nobody checks the source, then everybody just lies on top of it. How is that journalism? It’s just fucking bullshit, bullshit.”
The Haas boss highlighted the negative impacts of such speculation.
“A complete waste of time,” Komatsu said.
“Esteban gets worried, the manager gets worried, but Esteban knows that we haven’t had any argument in Miami, at least a specific thing. So, this morning he was just smiling and talking about, you know, ‘what the fuck’s that about?’
“So I said, ‘I’m going to just completely clarify this to everyone, because it’s absolute, utter shit.’ Total bullshit. It’s just something we don’t need, right?
“And then I think it gets written in Japanese. Somebody sent it to me, this Japanese article about this Brazilian journalist was quoted. I haven’t actually read what this Brazilian journalist wrote.
“So, Japanese translation, how inaccurate is it? I have no idea. And also, on the Japanese side, they really want to create shit about, I’d like to take Yuki or something.
“It’s got zero foundation. So I don’t take any notice. But then some French journalist picks it up. It’s like, fucking hell, if you’re a French journalist, what are you trying to do to your country’s driver by picking up a story like that? Are you trying to put your French driver down? What is the purpose?”
Komatsu urges journalists to “check sources”
The 50-year-old blasted journalists who write and share unfounded, potentially damaging stories, urging the media to check their sources.
“It’s just bullshit,” Komatsu complained at the fiery Canadian GP media session. “I don’t know, if you write some story, you check your source, don’t you?
“Seriously, because, honestly, when I was a kid—I don’t know if some of you know, I wanted to be a journalist, I wanted to be an investigative journalist. So when I read things like this, it’s like, fucking hell. Are you not embarrassed about what you’re writing?
“And then by writing bullshit like this with no foundation, you lose credibility, completely. Any media that runs that kind of bullshit story loses credibility, in my mind, anyway. It’s not even, like, twisting my words.
“There’s zero facts, nothing to do with what I said, because I didn’t say anything. It’s incredible. Then it’s again, like we’re wasting time, right?
“How many of you, ten of you, listening to this shit, which has got no foundation? How is that productive to anyone?”
