McLaren driver in talks with Haas to replace Ocon

Haas has not confirmed either of its two drivers for 2027, although it is virtually certain that Oliver Bearman will stay on. The Briton would be loaned out for another year by Ferrari, which sees a golden future in the youngster. Should Lewis Hamilton call it a day, Bearman is the ideal candidate to replace him at the Scuderia.

Who will be the second man alongside Bearman is completely open. Esteban Ocon hopes to keep his seat next season, but according to information from GPblog, the Frenchman must seriously consider that his tenure may be coming to an end. Incidentally, Ayao Komatsu, the Haas team principal, did not want to comment on that in Hungary.

While the technical partner is trying to place a Japanese driver as the second seat at Haas, Ferrari would like to see Rafael Camara get a chance from Formula 2. The Brazilian is quick but also inconsistent in the feeder series to Formula 1. Reportedly, Haas sees him as an option, but he would not be the first choice.

GPblog understands that Leonardo Fornaroli’s management is also actively trying to place the youngster at Haas. They have the support of McLaren, which would like to loan the Italian out so he can gain experience elsewhere. McLaren sees Fornaroli as a future Formula 1 driver - perhaps even a successor to Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri someday. Since there’s no room at McLaren, they are necessarily looking at another F1 team for Fornaroli.

In the meantime, Haas finds itself in a privileged position. Few seats are likely to open up for 2027, while plenty of interesting drivers are seeking a place in F1. This gives the Americans a chance to sign a driver who in another year might have been out of reach.