Formula E CEO makes bold Esteban Ocon pitch after Haas F1 exit confirmation

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has said the all-electric championship would make a "brilliant home" for Esteban Ocon, though the timing of the Frenchman's Haas exit makes an immediate switch all but impossible.

Ocon confirmed late last month that he will leave Haas at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season after the team chose not to extend his two-year contract. 

The 30-year-old has insisted his priority remains securing a race seat in F1 for 2027, with a reserve role floated as a fallback if nothing materialises with limited options available on the grid.

As for Formula E, the clock is working against any move for now. Teams in the all-electric series are required to finalise their driver line-ups before mandatory pre-season testing, which clashes directly with the closing rounds of the 2026 F1 calendar. 

The majority of Formula E teams are already conducting private tests, while the official pre-season test in Madrid next month clashes with F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

If Ocon were to ever move to Formula E, Season 14 (2027/28) would be considerably more realistic. What is certain, the arrival of Gen4 has created a buzz in the F1 paddock, with several stars, including Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, having spoken highly of it.

Dodds confident Ocon looking at Formula E options

Formula E has increasingly become a landing spot for drivers squeezed out of F1's narrow grid, with a growing number of Formula 2 graduates opting for seats in the all-electric series over uncertain reserve roles. Dodds named Yuki Tsunoda and Ocon specifically as drivers he believes would suit the series.

Asked whether the door is open to Ocon, Dodds told RacingNews365 during an interview: "Well, so I don't run a team, of course. And that's the challenging thing, we don't get to select drivers. I would back our 20 drivers today, Season 12 drivers, against anybody else in the world, any other paddock in the world. 

"But of course, we're always looking to raise the bar. And when a new driver comes, can they bring different things? Some drivers bring incredible racing heritage and history. You know, dare I say, Sebastien Buemi or Lucas di Grassi, people like Jean-Eric Vergne. 

"Some come and they bring a fan base from Formula 1, Nyck de Vries, something like that. Others come straight out of F2, where they were destined potentially for F1 and didn't quite get there or chose not to get there. 

"And that's people like Theo Pourchaire and Felipe Drugovich and Taylor Barnard, Pepe Marti, they all bring something different to the grid, and that's what the collection of them makes it up. But I absolutely think, for people like an Esteban or people like Yuki Tsunoda, I think this would be a brilliant home for them. An incredible racing car, racing to a modern motorsport generation."

Dodds suggested Ocon may already be exploring his options, even if a Season 13 switch looks off the cards.

The Formula E CEO added: "I'd be amazed if he's [Ocon] not sitting with his management, thinking, 'I wonder if there's a space over at Formula E'. 

"Timing for him might be challenging because we're almost all announced on the grid now, but you know, we've got rookie tests coming up, so never say never."