Ocon Denies Physical Clash With Haas Boss Komatsu
Esteban Ocon has denied that his removal from Haas for the Mexico City Grand Prix involved a physical fight with team principal Ayao Komatsu. In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, the Frenchman said he categorically rejected any suggestion that violence was used to settle their differences.
The denial followed a report by France's L'Equipe that a meeting between Komatsu and Ocon ended abruptly, and perhaps physically. Ocon said that a difference in viewpoints had led to a discussion with those involved. He also said he strongly condemns violence in all its forms, and that disagreements should be handled with professionalism, respect and mutual understanding.
The trouble started on the track, not in a meeting room. During second practice on Friday, Ocon argued with his race engineer, Laura Mueller, about tyres. She told him the plan to run the soft compound, the grippiest option but the one that wears fastest, had been switched to the medium, which is more durable. Haas then stood Ocon down for the rest of the Mexico weekend. Reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa took his seat.
Before the dispute, Ocon had set a best lap of 1:18.774 in practice, good for 13th overall. Teammate Oliver Bearman was one spot behind on 1:18.849. In qualifying, Bearman starred from 15th on the grid, while Hirakawa started 19th in his first race for the team.
Ocon's future at Haas was already settled. The team announced last month that he would leave at the end of the season. Rafael Camara, who leads the Formula 2 championship and is part of Ferrari's driver development programme, will take over his seat. In May, Ocon had also dismissed stories of a rift with the team as "fabricated".
In his Saturday statement, Ocon asked that speculation be avoided while the matter is being addressed. Haas has since posted a team statement titled "Driver Update" on its newsroom page. The Mexico City Grand Prix is Round 19 of the 2026 World Championship, and the outcome of the weekend's race is not part of this story.
What matters now is the timing. Ocon is leaving at the end of the year, Camara is waiting in the wings, and two accounts of what happened in a meeting are now in public view. Neither side has offered further detail beyond what has been stated so far.
