Oliver Bearman has revealed that he contacted Esteban Ocon following the French driver’s unexpected removal from the Haas line-up during the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. The British driver admitted he does not know exactly what happened behind the scenes but described the situation as difficult and upsetting, while also expressing his support for replacement Ryo Hirakawa.
Bearman found himself with a new team-mate before the Mexican Grand Prix weekend had even reached its halfway point. On Saturday morning, Haas unexpectedly dropped Ocon from its race line-up, promoting reserve and development driver Hirakawa in his place. The Japanese driver went on to deliver a convincing performance, securing 10th place and a championship point after post-race penalties were applied.
Oliver Bearman reveals message to Esteban Ocon after sudden Haas exit
Haas has not provided details about the reasons behind Ocon’s unexpected departure. The French driver has, however, addressed the situation on social media, denying allegations that he had behaved violently towards anyone within the team.
Speaking to reporters after qualifying in Mexico City, Bearman confirmed that he was unaware of the precise circumstances surrounding his former team-mate’s removal. Nevertheless, he revealed that he had reached out to Ocon personally.
“I sent Esteban a message,” Bearman told the media. “It’s a really difficult situation and, to be honest, I don’t know exactly what happened, but it’s never a pleasant situation when things like this happen.”
The Haas driver’s comments reflected his uncertainty over the events that had led to the sudden change. Rather than speculating about what had happened, Bearman focused on acknowledging the difficult circumstances facing his former team-mate.
Oliver Bearman helped Ryo Hirakawa prepare for his Formula 1 debut
With Ocon no longer participating in the weekend, Hirakawa was unexpectedly given the opportunity to make his Formula 1 Grand Prix debut. Bearman confirmed that he did everything he could to help the Japanese driver adapt to the situation after being called up by Haas.
“All I can say is that, obviously, I helped Ryo as much as possible to speed up his learning process, and I’m also very happy for him that he was able to have his first experience in F1.”
For Bearman, the circumstances also brought back memories of his own unexpected introduction to Formula 1. Watching the attention surrounding Hirakawa during the third free practice session reminded him of his first Grand Prix weekend at Jeddah.
“Looking across the garage during FP3 with all those cameras, it reminded me of my FP3 a few years ago in Jeddah. It will be a great memory for him and a fantastic experience, but obviously under really difficult and sad circumstances.”
Despite the disruption, Hirakawa completed his debut weekend with a points-scoring result. The Japanese driver initially finished outside the top 10, but penalties imposed on other competitors promoted him to 10th place in the final classification.
Rafael Câmara confirmed for Haas debut at São Paulo Grand Prix
Haas has now confirmed another change to its driver line-up, with Rafael Câmara set to make his Formula 1 debut at the São Paulo Grand Prix next weekend. The Brazilian has already been signed by the American team for the 2027 season.
The announcement means Bearman will get an early opportunity to work alongside the driver who is due to become his permanent team-mate next year. For Câmara, the Brazilian Grand Prix will mark the beginning of his Formula 1 racing career earlier than originally expected.
The decision follows a turbulent period for Haas, beginning with Ocon’s unexpected removal in Mexico City and continuing with Hirakawa’s debut. The team’s plans for its next driver pairing have now also become clearer, with Rafael Câmara confirmed to replace Esteban Ocon at the São Paulo and Las Vegas Grands Prix.
Bearman will therefore head into the Brazilian Grand Prix with another new face on the opposite side of the Haas garage. Having already helped Hirakawa through an unexpected debut, the British driver now has the opportunity to begin building his working relationship with Câmara ahead of their planned 2027 partnership.
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