Esteban Ocon says it's very serious how Haas will go racing in 2026

2026 will be Ocon's second season with the American team after his run at Alpine ended in 2024, one race from the end of that season, as Jack Doohan replaced him for the Abu Dhabi season finale.

Haas enter this season, their 11th in the sport, with Toyota Gazoo Racing as their title sponsor, which represents a major boost for the Gene Haas-owned team.

They revealed their 2026 F1 car on Monday, the VF-26 which will be powered by Ferrari.

“I’m excited about this year," Ocon said. "This team is really growing, and this team is learning a lot.

“Since I arrived, there have been a lot of great things that have happened. We’re growing the team and welcoming more partners, and it’s very serious how we’re going racing into this year.

“I really hope, and I trust, that this team will give us a great tool to be fighting towards the front and towards the points.

"And if that’s the case, I think for sure we will be dangerous," the 29-year-old warned.

Haas's team boss Ayao Komatsu claimed it was nerve-wracking working on the new F1 regulations for 2026.

As for Ocon, he commented: “This is definitely the biggest rule change I’ve ever faced.

“The first time I drove a Formula 1 car was in the V8 era; then we went to a hybrid system, where I drove one day in Valencia back then and went to Abu Dhabi for FP1.

"It was probably a similar change to what we’ll face now, but we need to forget everything that has happened before. We need to learn everything new again, so I think the experience helps to adapt quickly, but we need to adapt everything.

"All of our senses, how we feel—we'll need to think a lot more while driving about what to do, to go quicker," Ocon concluded.

Ocon finished the 2025 F1 season 15th in the Drivers' Standings. (Source: Formula 1 Official Website)