A sudden tension swept through the Haas Formula 1 team garage after Esteban Ocon was abruptly benched for the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. In a dramatic development ahead of Saturday morning's final practice session, the squad managed by Ayao Komatsu confirmed that the French driver had been immediately replaced by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the rest of the event.
The official team statement confirmed that the Le Mans winner would take over the VF-26 cockpit to partner regular team-mate Ollie Bearman for the remainder of the weekend. A team spokesperson explicitly noted that the benching was not due to illness. The complete lack of detailed explanation from the management immediately fueled intense paddock speculation regarding a major internal fallout.
The speculation gained further traction following a tense radio exchange between the driver and his race engineer, Laura Mueller, during the second practice session on Friday. A sharp disagreement arose over tyre compound strategy when the driver requested to run soft tyres, only to be directed toward medium tyres due to concerns regarding his team-mate's tyre wear appearance.
When pressed by media outlets regarding the heated atmosphere within the garage, team leadership remained tight-lipped and declined to provide specific details about the situation. This closed-door approach has triggered suggestions that the driver's tenure with the American-owned outfit could be reaching a premature end, especially given prior announcements regarding next year's driver lineup.
The unfolding scenario mirrors previous career chapters where the driver experienced premature departures from previous employers. As the weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez progresses, team management maintains that their sole priority is getting the Japanese reserve driver fully prepared for the qualifying session and the 71-lap grand prix.
Baca Juga
Ayao Komatsu menolak beri penjelasan soal pencopotan Esteban Ocon oleh Haas di F1 GP Meksiko. Simak analisis lengkap dan berita paddock di sini.
Simak analisis lengkap dan alasan di balik keputusan mengejutkan Haas mendepak Esteban Ocon di GP Meksiko. Baca selengkapnya di sini.
Simak analisis lengkap konflik radio dan alasan dibalik keputusan Haas mencadangkan Esteban Ocon di F1 GP Meksiko. Baca analisis mendalam di sini
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!