Esteban Ocon's F1 career is likely over. Something went sideways during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend — serious enough that Haas pulled him from the car mid-weekend and handed his seat to 32-year-old Ryo Hirakawa, who had never started a grand prix. The team confirmed Ocon won't race for them again this season, with prospect Rafael Camara getting the remaining drives. It's a brutal end for a driver who defied the odds to reach F1 from a modest background, won a race with Alpine, and banked multiple podiums. But this is the second time in three years a team has shown him the door before his contract expired — Alpine did the same in 2024. The 2027 grid looks sealed: Cadillac's open seat will likely go to Colton Herta or Yuki Tsunoda, and Red Bull isn't adding a 30-year-old Frenchman to its junior lineup. Ocon beat the system once. Getting back in from here requires someone else's misfortune — and teams willing to overlook the exit ramp.
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