Oliver Bearman “Really Misses” Esteban Ocon at Haas. Mexico City Changed the Garage. Rafa Camara Arrives Early.
Oliver Bearman says he “really, really” misses Esteban Ocon after a late-weekend dispute in Mexico City ended the Frenchman’s Haas campaign for the rest of the 2026 F1 season. The team has confirmed Ocon will not race for it again this year, but has declined to explain what happened behind closed doors.
The change has unsettled the garage, even as Bearman insists it caused no disruption at the previous event. Ryo Hirakawa stepped in at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez; now Rafael Camara, already set to partner Bearman next season, gets his Haas debut in São Paulo. The reshuffle turns a difficult moment in the team’s driver relationship into an early test of its future line-up.
Bearman feels Ocon’s absence inside the Haas garage
Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Bearman described the situation as strange and difficult for everyone involved. He made clear that his sympathy sits with Ocon, while acknowledging that events had changed quickly and that he hoped the disruption would not spread through the team.
That measured response matters in a sport where internal tension can leak into radio exchanges, set-up discussions and weekend routines. Bearman said the Mexico change had not unsettled the crew, but the public uncertainty around the split leaves Haas managing both a sporting transition and a human one. The team’s announcement on Ocon’s departure from Haas gives the outline, not the private detail.
Rafa Camara’s early arrival reshapes Haas team dynamics
Camara was due to become Bearman’s full-time F1 teammate next season, so the São Paulo debut brings that pairing forward. Bearman called the Brazilian a strong competitor and welcomed the prospect of being pushed harder, framing direct competition as a way to raise both drivers’ level and help the team extract more from its package.
Their connection stretches back to the Ferrari Driver Academy, which they joined at the same time. Bearman recalled meeting Camara at an early scouting camp in Italy and sharing training camps and fitness tests; they never raced in the same category, but built a familiar rapport away from the timing screens. That history gives the new pairing a head start, though a race weekend will test it in a different way.
Camara replaces Ocon for the coming events after Hirakawa’s Mexico appearance. The Japanese driver cannot take the São Paulo seat because of a clash with his World Endurance Championship duties for Toyota at Monza. With the calendar forcing a swift adjustment, Haas gains an early look at how its future driver pairing works under race-weekend pressure.
Bearman’s respect for his former partner is not at odds with his enthusiasm for the next chapter. He said Ocon had pushed him hard, and expects Camara to do the same; that is the competitive edge he wants from a teammate. For more on the Briton’s wider career picture, see this report on Bearman’s F1 future.
What the Ocon split means for Bearman’s Formula 1 season
For Bearman, the immediate job is to keep the racing side of the garage steady while a teammate change dominates attention. A stable working rhythm matters in Formula 1: engineers need clear feedback, drivers need confidence in shared decisions, and every session brings limited time to refine the car. The next weekends will show how quickly Camara can enter that process.
The change also gives Haas a live comparison before next season, rather than waiting for winter testing to begin the partnership. It cannot replicate a full campaign, but São Paulo offers a first measure of communication, preparation and pace in the same conditions. Bearman’s comments leave the emotional part plain: he misses Ocon, while accepting that motorsport keeps moving and the next test is already on the schedule. Follow the latest Formula 1 news as the new pairing takes shape.
