Esteban Ocon has never been shy about expressing belief in his ability. After finishing eighth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Haas F1 Team driver feels vindicated.
The result in Baku marked Ocon's best finish of the 2026 season. Throughout the campaign, he has often been held back by inconsistency in the performance of Haas' car parts—an issue understood to have affected him more than teammate Oliver Bearman. However, the situation has improved of late.
Ocon is aware that he is likely losing his seat for 2027 and was highly frustrated to have been hindered by a yellow flag in qualifying in Baku. Hence, his ecstatic reaction after the race. "Super happy with the result," he said after being pipped to seventh place by Arvid Lindblad by a mere 0.03s. "When the car is working, that's what we deserve."
He added that the car had been strong since the beginning of the weekend, and the team made all the right decisions on the pitstop and on the safety car. "I did the same overtake I did in Zandvoort, just before the line, so that was really good as well. And again, two places there as well into Turn 2," he explained. "So, yeah, it's been a really, really good race, I'm really happy with the result. I think it gives just good, positive vibes for everyone to move forward on that triple-header."
Looking ahead to the upcoming Sepang circuit, Ocon said: "We are going into a very difficult track with a lot of high-speed corners. And we show that we have a car that's pretty competitive. It should be like two exciting races for us, I'm looking forward to them."
Asked by Motorsport.com if this felt like redemption in the difficult time he was going through, Ocon replied: "I can say I deserve that—not all the rest of the shit." He then emphasized his record: "I've raced with everyone out there, you know? And I've always been on par. I won every championship that I've raced [in]. I won races in Formula Renault, I won championships in go-karts, I won [European] Formula 3, I won GP3, I was racing in the top 10 in DTM for half a season, I won in Formula 1. I can do it, you know?"
"I'm one of the best out there, and I'm not afraid to say it." Other than his "I won every championship" claim, which he swiftly nuanced, Ocon's statement is mostly true. The only inaccuracy might be his half-season in DTM back in 2016, as he finished in the top 10 just once in 10 races, having spent 18% of all his racing laps in those positions.
Regardless, Ocon's remarks reflect an unwavering self-belief. Amid speculation about his future, he chooses to keep proving his ability on track while reminding everyone of his achievements. Haas, battling in the midfield, will hope Ocon's consistency can help the team secure a better constructors' position by the end of the season.
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