F1 star gives blunt one-word answer after losing seat for 2027

Esteban Ocon overcame enormous hurdles to make it into F1, so you should not be surprised that he really does not want to leave.

The 30-year-old Frenchman is still coming to terms with the devastating news that he has lost his seat at Haas for the 2027 season.

It was especially agonising for a man who defied all the odds, coming from a working-class family in Normandy who lived in caravan to help fund his motorsport dream.

Now though Ocon is looking at what comes next, and he is very clear about one thing - it is F1 or nothing in 2027 at least.

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Ocon on future plans

Speaking to media ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, he revealed: "Yeah, still working on it, still discussing. When I will have more news for you guys, I will announce something, definitely.

"But at the moment, full focus is on this weekend, keep going with the nice work that we've done in the last couple of events, keep the overtaking going.

"I think I've done more than 100 overtakes this year, so that's quite good. Obviously, if you start on pole, you don't do any overtakes, but that's not the pace we have. So yeah, let's keep that going and keep fighting."

F1 or nothing for Haas star in 2027

When pressed about what he would do if F1 is no longer a possibility, Ocon was very firm in his response:

"Formula 1. That's where I deserve to be. If I look at the results and what I've shown in Formula 1, I deserve to be in Formula 1.

"So of course, there are other categories which are fantastic as well, but I want to be racing in Formula 1 in the next five, seven years. That's where I want to be.

"So I will keep pushing to be in that position. So yeah, in the near future, that's the only thing I'm looking at so far."

When pressed further by David Croft of Sky Sports if that meant no racing next year outside of F1, Ocon answered with one solitary word - "No".

Ocon was then asked if he would consider a third driver role, a role he fulfilled for Mercedes back in 2019. He responded: "That will be, if there are no possibilities to race next year, that's what I would do, yeah".

Last year Ocon had spoken in very moving terms about the early years of his karting existence, when he and his family gave up literally everything to help him achieve his unlikely dream.

"I came home from the race on Sunday evening, and the next morning I woke up right in front of school," he said.

"That was easier because we didn't have a permanent residence. We usually stayed at my cousin's house with the caravan, but when it was very late, we just parked in front of the school. Then I went straight to class.

"I didn't have many friends. Many people said to me, 'You're a Gypsy, what are you doing here?' I have great respect for the travelling community - they sold us the caravan! But my classmates made fun of me. It really wasn't easy."

Ocon has raced in 196 F1 Grands Prix to date with a solitary win - that famous success for Alpine after starting P8 at the Hungarian Grand Prix of 2021.

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