Esteban Ocon: "We'll be able to forget everything we've learned since karting" with the 2026 F1 cars

After Red Bull and Racing Bulls, Haas became the third team to present its Formula 1 2026, or at least its livery, this Monday. An opportunity for the drivers, including the Norman driver. Esteban Ocon to express themselves before a season that promises to be particularly interesting. Indeed, the chassis and engine regulations changed at the start of this year, resulting in lighter, narrower and shorter cars, powered by power units that give a greater share to electric energy.

While Formula 1 drivers have spent the last few months discovering the new cars on simulators, the Barcelona tests will be their first chance to test these machines "for real." The shakedowns sometimes organized are limited to 100 km with demonstration tires. In Spain, it will be the 2026 tires and three full days will be given to the teams to discover their new equipment. Esteban Ocon believes, however, unsurprisingly, that it will be necessary to adapt more than usual to master the new driving nuances introduced by the 2026 regulations.

“It’s a very particular way of driving the car. There will be a lot more management on the engine and hybrid sides. Clearly, that’s where the biggest change will be, and that’s where the key to preparing us lies. It’s an exciting challenge, and it involves a completely different way of driving than we’ve known before. I think we can forget everything we’ve learned since the karting "It will be interesting to learn how to go fast, but it will be interesting to learn a new driving style and, hopefully, improve our performance as a result."

The French driver's comments echo those of some of his rivals in the second half of last year, who suggested that overtaking could occur in "unexpected" places in 2026. Indeed, with the active aerodynamics on both wings replacing DRS and available to all drivers at any time, the electrical energy management modes will act as a new way to help the driver behind to overtake. By being within a second of the car in front in a detection zone, the driver will be able to deploy more electrical energy on the following lap, which could, for example, allow for overtaking in acceleration zones at corner exits, thanks to the additional power and torque available.

A very short off-season

In addition to the mental adjustments required to adapt to a new driving style, drivers use the off-season to intensify their training regimen in order to build muscle mass before the start of the season. With the break between 2025 and 2026 being very short, Esteban Ocon had to postpone his training camp, but the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner is not worried about his physical condition.

“It’s already January, which makes it feel like we’ve lived through two seasons in one, but we’ve made the most of this time. First of all, I finished on December 22nd, so after the Abu Dhabi tests. We had to prepare the 2026 seat and test the car in the simulator. We got a first glimpse of how the car would feel on the track, and we still have a few days before the tests. I took advantage of the period between Christmas and New Year’s to really rest. I usually do a training camp at this time, but since I was tired at the end of the year, it was more advantageous to start the training camp again at the beginning of January. It went very well, and I gained a lot of muscle mass. I had lost a lot of weight at the end of last year, and I was able to put it back on, so I’m in pretty good shape right now.”

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