Haas was also surprised by the about-face ofAlpine regarding Esteban Ocon

Words from Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of Haas, were particularly expected in the context of the difficult separation between Esteban Ocon et Alpine. Announced for several months as a permanent member of the American team for 2025, the French driver had obtained, according to our information, the agreement ofAlpine in order to participate in the end-of-season trials with his future team.

The permission was never revoked, but the Norman learned ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix that it was ultimately conditional on giving up his seat for the final Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi. The reasons behind Flavio Briatore's request are not officially known, Alpine not having really explained in its press release what would have prevented Ocon from participating in the race on Sunday with Alpine and at the trials on Tuesday with his future team.

Komatsu does not want to interfere in the affairs ofAlpine

For the French team, the net benefit is to be able to offer a first race weekend to Jack Doohan, who has been announced as a starter for 2025. In a dead end and at the end of the cycle at Alpine, Esteban obviously had every reason to opt for doing the tests with Haas, in order to understand the car, and to familiarize yourself with the engine FerrariHe will therefore not have the right to bid farewell to the team in due form, but he did so remarkably on his social networks, regretting despite everything this damp squib ending.

In the Abu Dhabi paddock, Ayao Komatsu was obviously questioned during his press briefing this Thursday on the issue. The Japanese indeed confirmed that a verbal agreement was on the table, which had also pushed him to officially communicate to the press in Brazil that Ocon would indeed drive in the VF-24 during the end-of-season tests. "I talked to Ollie about it (Oakes, team principal ofAlpine) at one of the previous meetings of the Commission F1, without it being put in writing, but well before I confirmed it" he said. "We said there was no problem."

Haas had Oakes' word

The future boss of Normandy obviously preferred not to judge what was happening at Alpine. "It's their problem, it has nothing to do with me", answers the Japanese. “I talked to Ollie, he said ‘OK, no problem, Esteban can drive the car’. So we talked about the suit, if it should just be white, keep it simple. That’s it. You know, I’m pretty easy with all that stuff, and what happens at Alpine "It's not my business. Ollie gave me his word, that was enough for me."

The Japanese, however, was surprised by the last-minute changes. "Frankly, whatever happens at Alpine, it doesn't concern me. The last time I spoke to Ollie about it, he was happy that Esteban could drive for us in the end-of-season test, and he hasn't said anything different since. If something had changed, he would have come to me and talked to me about it, but he didn't. So he gave me his word and that was good enough for me." However, given his reaction to Canal + on Sunday after the race, was Oliver Oakes aware of this last-minute change?

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