An F1 star was dropped by his team for the rest of the season and replaced by a Ferrari driver after an alleged major falling out with his team principal

An F1 star was dropped by his team for the rest of the season and won’t race for them again following an alleged major falling out with the team principal. Paving the way for a Ferrari driver to replace him.

Haas announced on Tuesday night that Esteban Ocon has been cut from the team for the rest of the 2026 season after it was already confirmed he would not have a seat for 2027.

The team also confirmed that Ferrari driver Rafael Camara would line up alongside Ollie Bearman for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, stepping in to replace Ocon, before taking the seat full-time next year.

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It comes after Ocon, 30, was dropped and replaced by Ryo Hirakawa on Saturday at the Mexico City Grand Prix, just hours before qualifying despite taking part in a practice session on Friday.

Hirakawa went on to score a point on his F1 debut in Ocon’s seat as the team removed all branding, logos and his image from the team garage.

Haas then said in a statement that Ocon would no longer drive for the team for the remaining four race weekends, saying: "TGR Haas F1 Team can confirm that Esteban Ocon will no longer compete on its behalf in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

"Rafael Camara will now partner Ollie Bearman in the team at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Rafael will make his Formula 1 debut on home-soil this year having last month been announced as one of TGR Haas F1 Team's full-time driver signings for the 2027 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."

Ocon was already set to leave the team at the end of the season after it was established he would not be signing a new contract with the North Carolina-based outfit.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu shed light on the reasoning behind the call to swap Ocon for Camara.

He said: "Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City - but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.

"The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter. And we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations."

Komatsu also refused to comment on Ocon’s axing in Mexico, after the Frenchman had a dispute with his race engineer Laura Mueller during the second practice session on Friday about tyre strategy and practice programmes.

Mueller told Ocon they would be switching his current soft tyre programme to use the medium tyres on his race-simulation run because team-mate Bearman’s soft tyre run was “not great”.

Ocon was told “we have to do medium” when he asked for clarity on the change, seeing the 30-year-old reply: "No, no. I wanted the soft. Don't do that to me. Come on."

As Ocon was wheeled back into the garage, he frustratingly said: “It is my turn this weekend come on.”

Later that evening, a team meeting reportedly became heated. According to BILD, Ocon allegedly wanted to apologise and sought a meeting with Komatsu in his office on Saturday. The Japanese boss reportedly told him he had no interest in a discussion.

Ocon, in turn, replied that he would not leave until he had spoken with Komatsu. When Komatsu attempted to leave the office, Ocon allegedly became physical and grabbed him by the shoulder.

However, Ocon firmly denied that happened, saying in a statement on social media that "a difference in viewpoints led to a discussion with the parties involved".

But he said he "categorically rejected any reports or allegations suggesting that any form of physical violence was used to resolve any differences of any nature.”

Ocon is yet to respond to Haas’ decision to replace him for the rest of the season. The former Alpine driver does not yet have a seat on the grid for 2027 and could be without a drive for the first time since 2019.