Haas complete 2025 F1 line-up with driver announcement

Haas has completed its 2025 F1 driver line-up by announcing the signing of Esteban Ocon. 

The French driver is leaving Alpine at the end of this season and will join the American-based outfit, where he will partner rookie Oliver Bearman. 

Ayao Komatsu's decision to sign Ocon follows the news that dropped ahead of last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, where it was confirmed that Kevin Magnussen would not be retained by Haas. 

Ocon will join the American outfit next season on a multi-year contract, ensuring that the Frenchman will enter the new power unit regulations with the Ferrari customer team.

Ocon made his F1 debut for Manor in the second half of the 2016 season before completing a move to Force India (known now as Aston Martin) for the 2017 campaign.

He remained with the side for two seasons, before being dropped for 2019. Ocon returned to the F1 grid in 2020 with Renault, who he stayed with as it rebranded as Alpine.

In total, Ocon has spent five seasons with the Enstone-based side, with the highlight being his maiden F1 victory in the 2021 Hungarian GP. Unfortunately, this season has been marred by his collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco.

Despite a difficult year so far with Alpine, Ocon has secured three top 10 finishes. The 27-year-old will also become the first F1 race winner to compete for Haas, who have never even featured on the rostrum since debuting in 2016.

Ocon moving to Haas will also see him reunite with Komatsu, who was his engineer in his very first F1 test for Lotus back in 2014. 

The F1 race winner is delighted to be joining Haas and is looking forward to being reunited with the outfit's team principal. 

“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter in my Formula 1 career and join MoneyGram Haas F1 Team from the start of the 2025 season,” said Ocon. 

“I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me. I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months. 

"On a more personal note, I’m very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he’s been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than ten years ago. 

"MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has exciting plans and clear targets for the future, and I’m very much looking forward to working with everyone in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello, and being part of this great project.”