(Motorsport-Total.com) – Will Esteban Ocon drive his last Formula 1 season in 2026? At least Ralf Schumacher does not expect the Frenchman to still be on the starting grid next year. “Ocon is not good enough,” the expert judges mercilessly in the podcast Backstage Boxengasse from Sky.
Read more 24h Nürburgring: A weekend that could have changed Verstappen
“He is at best on par with Bearman and mostly worse,” says Schumacher, who recalls: “Bearman is still at the beginning of his career, there is still development going on.” Especially against this background, Ocon’s performances at Haas are simply not sufficient.
While teammate Oliver Bearman already has 17 world championship points in 2026, Ocon has so far only collected a single point this year. Schumacher therefore “cannot imagine that we will still see Esteban Ocon next year.”
“For me, that is pretty much set in stone,” says the six-time Grand Prix winner. It is no secret that Ocon is under pressure at Haas. Team principal Ayao Komatsu publicly stated in the winter that the 29-year-old did not fully meet the team’s expectations in his first season.
The contract durations of the current Formula 1 drivers
Because Bearman has even distanced Ocon more clearly in the world championship this year, rumors have recently arisen that the Frenchman could lose his cockpit during the current season. However, these are merely speculations.
Read more 24h Nürburgring: A weekend that could have changed Verstappen
Nevertheless, Schumacher does not believe that Ocon will hold on at Haas beyond 2026. He can even imagine that the team might need two new drivers next year if teammate Bearman manages to move up to the Ferrari factory team.
“I can imagine Ferrari has the priority on Bearman if they would need him,” says Schumacher. So if Lewis Hamilton ends his career at the end of the year, “then Bearman will also be gone,” the expert is sure.
The rumors about a Hamilton retirement at the end of the season are also just speculations so far. But if it actually happens, according to Schumacher, it would be “a dilemma” for Haas because they would then need two new drivers in 2027.