Esteban Ocon, now driving for Haas F1 Team, anticipates a important shift in driving style with the introduction of the 2026 Formula 1 cars. Having already experienced a version of the 2026 Haas car in a simulator, Ocon is preparing for a markedly different challenge this season.
“It’s a very particular way of driving the car,” Ocon said. “There’s going to be a lot more management on the engine side adn on the hybrid side.”
He noted the car felt promising in initial simulations. “The car itself, you know, felt pretty good. The balance was decent, although of course it was our first taste in the simulator, so we need to see how it is in reality, but the level of grip was good.”
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The most substantial change,according to Ocon,lies within the engine technology. “Clearly, the biggest change is from the engine side, and that’s going to be the key for us to be prepared. It’s an exciting challenge, and it’s a different way of driving compared to before.”
Ocon believes drivers may need to unlearn years of ingrained techniques. “I think we can forget everything that we’ve learned since go-karts on how to go fast,but it will be engaging to learn a new driving style and hopefully find speed with it.”
Ocon will have his first real-world experiance with the Haas F1 car during pre-season testing in Spain next week. Further tests are scheduled in bahrain in February, preceding the season opener in Australia on March 8th.However, he doesn’t expect a clear competitive picture to emerge immediately.
“I’d say by the third or fourth race we’ll have some indication, but it won’t be the final pecking order as there’s going to be a lot of advancement, especially in this first year,” he added. “It’s definitely worth taking all the points you can as early as you can,but even if we’re not exactly where we want to be,there are still things to grab in the middle of the season where lots of teams will be bringing updates.”
Ocon emphasized a race-by-race approach. “I think right now, we need to focus race to race and get the maximum amount of the car, do good things straight away from Australia, and then we will see how things pan out later.”
