Ocon has to leave immediately - and the reasons behind this are mysterious

Esteban Ocon will no longer compete in Formula 1 for the Haas racing team and will be replaced by young driver Rafael Câmara at the next race, as the Haas team announced.

The 21-year-old Câmara is scheduled to take part in the São Paulo Grand Prix in his native Brazil alongside Ollie Bearman. The race will take place on Sunday (6 p.m., Sky).

"Such decisions are never made lightly. That was the case in Mexico City - but then as now we firmly believe that this is in the best interests of the team for the future," said team boss Ayao Komatsu. Ocon should be replaced after this season anyway by Câmara, who is currently the leader of the Formula 2 junior series.

Ocon had already been canceled at short notice in Mexico City last weekend; The 32-year-old Japanese Ryo Hirakawa started for him. Haas did not give any reasons. It was simply said that it was not a case of illness.

According to information from “Bild”, Haas has now finally drawn the conclusions from the Mexico scandal. The paper initially reported on a heated dispute behind the scenes during the days of the race in Mexico. According to the report, after the second free practice session there was a loud argument in a team meeting.

Ocon had previously been dissatisfied with the instructions of his German race engineer Laura Müller and had clashed with her. During training, Müller ordered the Frenchman to the pits and prescribed medium tires. Ocon was already resisting the instructions on the radio: "No, I want to stay on the soft side. Don't do this to me!"

But the trouble apparently wasn't over there. According to “Bild”, there was a heated argument between Ocon and team boss Komatsu after training.

Since then, numerous rumors have been floating around the paddock. “Bild” reported on a heated disagreement between Ocon and Komatsu. Ocon is said to have grabbed his boss's shoulder when he wanted to leave the conversation. Other media outlets went even further in their presentation and reported allegations of violence.

Ocon then “categorically” rejected reports or allegations on Instagram that suggested a violent confrontation had occurred. He also asked that such speculation be refrained from and announced further information in due course. The 30-year-old has made almost 200 Grand Prix appearances since 2016.

Komatsu did not comment specifically on the reasons for Ocon's removal: "The discussions that ultimately took place between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter and we will continue to respect the confidential nature of such discussions behind closed doors," he said.

Ocon himself had criticized the loss of his Haas cockpit as “undeserved”, but did not recommend himself either with his recent behavior or with his performance on the track. “He may have thrown away the rest of his Formula 1 career,” criticized former world champion Jenson Button on Sky.