Ocon clears up crutch confusion at Barcelona 2026 F1 test

12:30, 02 Feb

Updated: 13:36, 02 Feb

byBen Hunt

Esteban Ocon has laughed off social media speculation that claimed he was driving the 2026 Haas F1 car after undergoing knee surgery.

The Frenchman was pictured at a private test last week in Barcelona using crutches as he watched from the grandstands while teams tested this season’s new cars.

The grainy images lit up social media, with growing speculation about his ‘injury’, as fans were quick to send him their best wishes.

However, Ocon has since provided an update on the situation, confirming that the crutches belonged to his father, Laurent, who had undergone knee surgery.

Ocon told selected media, including GPblog: “People were saying I was driving with crutches! That's awesome.

“But my dad had surgery on his knee and we were looking at the braking points, how the cars were behaving, and how the flap was closing on the front wing in Turn 10. And then there was a huge story that came out where people were saying that I had the knee surgery, but that I was okay and cleared by the medical team to drive. And how on Earth would I be able to drive an F1 car if I was in crutches!

“I feel like that was a little bit of an insult because you can't drive an F1 car if you're injured, that's for sure.”

Ocon encouraged by Haas's successful Barcelona test

Ocon added that the first test was a success for Haas and said he was pleasantly surprised by the Ferrari power unit. It comes as insiders believe the team could spring a surprise this season.

He said: “We’ve learned a lot over these days. We've moved much further forward than where we started. It’s been quite crazy, the learning curve, and there's still a lot to do, but we have a very clear direction with the car. The engine has been reliable, which was the most important thing, and the car has been reliable as well. We've done a lot of laps and it has gone well. It was a good test.”

When asked what surprised him most, Ocon pointed to the acceleration of the new 2026 hybrid F1 cars.

He added: “The way the speed climbs on the straight. I never thought I would get to 350 kph that fast. It's insane, honestly — something I've never felt in Formula One.”