Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says the US outfit’s partnership talks with Toyota were never disclosed to Esteban Ocon during his contract negotiations with the Frenchman.
After five seasons with Alpine, Ocon will depart the Enstone squad at the end of the year to join Haas, marking a significant shift in the 28-year-old’s F1 career.
While Ocon was seduced by Komatsu’s broad vision for Haas’ future, he was unaware of the potential alliance between the team and Toyota Gazoo Racing which was announced last week in Japan.
Komatsu acknowledged that timing played a critical role in his decision to withhold specific details about Haas’ banner deal with the automotive giant.
“I did say to him we have a development plan to take this team forward and to make a reasonable step change, if you like,” Komatus told the media last week in Fuji.
“But the point where I was trying to finalise Esteban’s contract, which was around Austria time, it was too early for me to guarantee anything to Esteban.”
The Toyota partnership, while exciting and potentially transformative for Haas, was not a done deal during Ocon's contract talks. Komatsu wanted to be sure that any information he shared with the French driver was grounded in certainty.
“I never wanted to tell Esteban something that I cannot guarantee and then he signed from that understanding, and then I cannot tell Esteban three months later ‘sorry mate, I couldn’t make it happen,’” he added.
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Instead of overselling a specific technical agreement, Komatsu focused on the broader strategy for Haas’ growth and their ambition to rise in the competitive F1 landscape.
Komatsu’s honesty and long-term vision struck a chord with Ocon, who had known Komatsu from his early days in Formula 1.
Ocon was impressed with the clarity and ambition Komatsu laid out for Haas, even without specific promises tied to external partnerships.
“Ayao really convinced me with his words. He’s a person that has a lot of experience in Formula 1,” Ocon explained in the wake of his signing with Haas.
“When we sat down for the first time, he explained to me about his plans going forward, which were very clear.”
Ocon appreciated that Haas’ goals were ambitious but remained grounded in realism—a balance that resonated with him.
“They have a clear target, which is still in humble terms. Not showing off, which is what I like as well,” he added.
“But they have very clear plans of improving where they are from. They are already starting that, as you can see. This year, they’ve been clearly improving their performance, the car itself.”
“But they have very clear plans of improving where they are from. They are already starting that, as you can see.
“This year, they’ve been clearly improving their performance, the car itself. The plans are obviously quite big and quite impressive looking forward.
“It was a decision that I took that I’m very happy with and I’m very excited. It’s a great challenge, a new adventure for me after five years with this team.”
Komatsu’s careful handling of the situation reflected his desire to be transparent with Ocon while not overpromising.
“He signed with the understanding that there’s a vision to take this team forward,” Komatsu explained.
“And instead of being specific about this technical partnership, I told him how we are planning to develop the team, and then he was very much on board with that idea.”
Ocon, for his part, is eager to contribute to Haas' upward momentum.
"It was a decision that I took that I’m very happy with and I’m very excited. It’s a great challenge, a new adventure for me after five years with this team," he concluded.
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