Button: Ocon May Have Thrown Away His F1 Career After Haas Benching

Haas benched Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the Mexico City weekend, handing his car to Ryo Hirakawa, and Jenson Button says the Frenchman may have thrown away the rest of his F1 career in the process.

Why it matters:

Ocon was already on his way out. Haas confirmed in late September that 2026 would be his final season with the team after two years, with rookie Rafael Camara signed to partner Oliver Bearman. Being pulled mid-weekend is a harsher message than a contract ending — and it is one that follows a driver into every paddock conversation about 2027.

The details:

• Haas announced the change on Saturday morning in Mexico City, offering no official reason and clarifying it was not illness-related.
• Reports of a physical altercation with team principal Ayao Komatsu surfaced; Ocon publicly denied them.
• Tension had shown a day earlier, when Ocon argued over team radio against running the medium compound in FP2, wanting softs instead.

Between the lines:

Button's frustration is less about the tyre call itself than the cost. "The best thing for him to do for number one, which is himself, is to drive as hard as he can, work as hard as he can, and show how good he is," he told Sky F1. "He can't do that anymore because of a disagreement on tyres in practice. It's not even qualifying or the race; it's practice. That frustrates me when I see that."

What's next:

Hirakawa gets an unexpected audition in a car he already knows, while Ocon — a grand prix winner — faces a thin market and a reputation to repair.