Esteban Ocon’s future at Haas is darkening. Four drivers will be evaluated during private tests, while Ferrari and Toyota are pushing their protégés to take his seat in 2027.
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Pressure is mounting around Esteban Ocon. As the driver market gradually begins to close for the 2027 season, Haas is preparing a real audition to evaluate four candidates likely to take the Frenchman’s seat.
Leonardo Fornaroli, Rafael Camara, Ryo Hirakawa, and Jack Doohan are set to participate in TPC tests, organized with former single-seaters, before the Italian Grand Prix. A few weeks earlier, Haas gave a Formula 1 track debut to Toyota protégés Sho Tsuboi and Nirei Fukuzumi during a special test at Fuji Speedway (photo above).
Two sessions are scheduled at the end of this week, first in Portimão then in Jerez. Oliver Bearman will also take the wheel to provide Haas with a direct benchmark to compare the performances of the four contenders.
Four candidates for one seat
This evaluation comes as Ocon’s future has become one of the main question marks in the driver market.
Fornaroli already has a first advantage: the Italian has participated in previous tests with Haas and reportedly made a strong impression on Ayao Komatsu.
But he will notably have to face Rafael Camara, whose candidacy enjoys particularly strong support from Ferrari.
Asked at Zandvoort about Scuderia’s involvement in the Brazilian’s career, Frédéric Vasseur left no doubt.
“We strongly support Rafael,” assured Ferrari’s team principal. “And it’s not just financially: we have used him in many TPC sessions this year and their cost far exceeds the amount of financial support we have given him.”
Ferrari wants to place Camara at Haas
Ferrari does not hide its intention to help its young driver take a new step in his career. The many sessions carried out this season were notably aimed at preparing Camara for this important confrontation.
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“We did this to put him in the best conditions for next week’s test,” Vasseur continues.
But the Frenchman’s following statement is even more revealing: “We are also looking for the best way to integrate him into the team for next season.”
Given the historical technical links between Ferrari and Haas, the Scuderia naturally has some influence. Camara’s arrival would also be an interesting solution to give him a first experience in F1 without immediately having to find him a place within the official team.
Toyota pushes Hirakawa, Doohan wants to revive
However, Ferrari is not the only party interested in Haas’s choice.
Toyota, technical partner of the American team, would like to favor Ryo Hirakawa. The Japanese driver has solid experience and already knows the Formula 1 environment. Recall that Haas’s TPC program is mainly funded by Toyota.
Jack Doohan completes this list of four candidates. After losing his seat at Alpine to Franco Colapinto in 2025, the Australian has here an opportunity to revive his career as a full-time driver.
The presence of several manufacturers behind the different candidates could therefore turn the choice of Haas’s second driver into a real battle of influence.
Ocon under pressure for 2027
For Esteban Ocon, these tests are inevitably a worrying signal.
The Frenchman currently occupies one of the few seats likely to become available for 2027. Williams has already secured Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, while the prospect of seeing Fernando Alonso continue with Aston Martin further reduces potential movements in the market.
Haas is therefore not obliged to make a rushed decision.
The team can take advantage of the coming months to compare its different options, observe Ocon’s performances, and determine which of its contenders represents the best sporting and strategic choice.
The tests in Portimão and Jerez could thus weigh heavily. Fornaroli, Camara, Hirakawa, and Doohan will each have the opportunity to convince Haas that they deserve a place on the grid in 2027. And this place could directly be Esteban Ocon’s.
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