Esteban Ocon doesn't "give a s***" about those doubting his F1 future

Questions are lingering surrounding the Haas driver's future in F1 after a tough start to 2026 with his contract soon to expire

Esteban Ocon claimed “people can say whatever the f**k they want” about his Formula 1 future as he’s just focusing on improving his fortunes.

Questions are starting to linger surrounding the 29-year-old’s future as his contract expires at the end of the 2026 campaign and he has struggled since joining Haas in 2025.

Last season, he was beaten by rookie team-mate Oliver Bearman, who finished three points above the one-time grand prix winner thanks to a strong end to his campaign.

Bearman has continued that momentum into 2026 by sitting 11th on 18 points after seven rounds, while Ocon is down in 16th with a score of just three leaving his future uncertain.

Time is starting to run out as Haas boss Ayao Komatsu revealed in May that the team should decide on its 2027 line-up this summer, with Bearman likely to take one spot.

So, when asked about his future ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Ocon said: “I’ve got the trust of the team. I’ve got the trust of Ayao.

Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

“I'm focused with the team to try and get the things that we have in control better. So I'm chill on my side, trying to do the best we can, focusing on the right things.

“People can say whatever the fuck they want, to be honest, I don't give a shit too much and I'm just wanting to do a good job for everyone.

“It's been three, four races where it's been quite tough for the whole team. Of course, we've scored a few points, but not enough, not what we want and we need to come back into shape and we deserve it.

“Obviously, we are doing a lot of hard work, but it has yet to come and pay off.”

Ocon has maintained the mantra though that his struggles stem from problems with the car, as he put his 2025 woes down to issues with the VF-25’s braking.

Although it’s currently unclear what he’s specifically struggling with in 2026 - various issues keep arising - he reckons they must be fixed first before his results start improving.

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

“As a driver, the performance on track is what I need to be taking care of. The rest, it's something that goes with it,” he added.

“We have bigger problems with the car at the moment than that. So this is what we need to sort out first.

“If you sort out the car issues and get more performance out of it, everything will go easier, obviously.

“But I feel confident about everything. There will always be talks. When people look at the picture from Paris, but we're in Austria, and when you look deep inside and know why I don't have many points this year and all of these things, well, it gets more clear.

“So the real reasons we know deep inside, the team and the people close around. So that's the most important. We know that we're doing the right work.”