Now, let us talk about the silly season at Haas. With the American team yet to lock down their full driver line-up for 2027, the paddock is buzzing about who might partner Ollie Bearman next year. While Bearman looks confident of keeping his seat, his current teammate Esteban Ocon has openly admitted he is yet to receive a contract extension offer as his deal expires at the end of this season.
At 30 years old, Ocon has carved out a long F1 career featuring stints with Manor, Force India, Renault, and Alpine—where he famously claimed victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix—before joining Haas on a multi-year deal for 2025. But F1 Correspondent & Presenter Lawrence Barretto notes that sources suggest the Frenchman will part ways with Haas when his contract ends, with a reserve role looking more likely given limited grid opportunities.
That leaves the door wide open for fresh talent, and Ferrari junior Rafael Camara has emerged as the overwhelming favourite. After winning the Formula 3 championship on his first attempt in 2025, the Brazilian has continued to impress in Formula 2, sitting P2 in the standings just seven points behind Nikola Tsolov. Having already impressed Haas during Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) running, Camara has strong backing from Ferrari, who are keen to test his potential in F1.
Another young gun who has tasted old-spec Haas machinery is Leonardo Fornaroli. After clinching the 2024 Formula 3 title, the Italian graduated to Formula 2, took four wins to secure another championship, and was promptly signed by McLaren to their development programme as a 2026 reserve driver. While a strong TPC run and a fifth-place finish in a Barcelona FP1 session put him firmly on the radar, Fornaroli has since slipped behind Camara on the shortlist.
Other names have naturally been thrown into the mix, though their chances appear slimmer. Yuki Tsunoda put himself back in the shop window with an assured super-sub performance across three races at Racing Bulls in place of the injured Isack Hadjar, but the Honda-backed Red Bull reserve doesn't have quite enough traction for a 2027 seat. Similarly, Toyota-backed Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa has lapped competitively in TPC tests and young driver practice sessions, yet promotion is not expected for him.
Finally, Jack Doohan finds himself in a reserve role with Haas for 2026 after being let down by Alpine—where he previously replaced Ocon. Despite getting some TPC running to evaluate his pace, Doohan is not believed to be at the top of the American squad's shortlist for next season.
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