Grand Prix weekends are brilliant for racing – normally – but also for teams and drivers to start working behind the scenes.
With half the grid still looking for a race seat next year, talks are constantly ongoing in the paddock ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Speaking on the Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport, journalist Jack Plooij has provided an interesting update from the Haas team.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu has a decision to make following the news that Nico Hulkenberg will be joining Sauber next season.
Kevin Magnussen’s future is already up in the air with the team less than convinced about retaining him.
However, Plooij believes that Esteban Ocon has an agreement to drive for Haas in 2025.
The Alpine driver has only scored one point this season with the French team really struggling at the back of the grid.
After five seasons with the team – including their final year when they were known as Renault – he’s decided now is the right time to move on.
READ MORE: Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Esteban Ocon ‘definitely’ signing for Haas in 2025
After signs of positivity for Alpine in the past few races, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was a return to their early season struggles.
Teams around them brought upgrades that improved their race pace and despite both drivers reaching Q2, neither ever looked like scoring points.
It leaves Pierre Gasly as one of five drivers on the grid yet to score a point.
Ocon drove beautifully in Miami to end the team’s wait to get off the mark but finished a lap down and in 14 at Imola.
It appears as though he’s run out of patience with Alpine for next season and given their trajectory that’s not a surprise.
They were 4 in the Constructors’ Championship as recently as 2022 but have slipped behind almost all of their rivals.
Meanwhile, Haas are a team on the up and Ocon may have decided that his best bet for 2025.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship
Haas seeking Nico Hulkenberg’s replacement for next season
Speaking about the situation at the American team, Plooij said: “I have preempted it, Esteban Ocon is really going to Haas, it will be announced very soon.
“Then you think why does a Mercedes driver have to go to a Ferrari [team] now, but he’s done with it because he’s not getting the opportunity at Mercedes that he actually wants and he has said to Mercedes, then I’ll just look for other opportunities and so now he’s definitely going to Haas.”
Esteban Ocon is only 10 races away from 150 Grand Prix starts and already has a race win to his name.
That came with Alpine back in 2021 at the Hungarian Grand Prix and he’s shown on many occasions that he’s a very good midfield driver.
His close car control in tight situations was clear for everyone to see in Miami.
Ocon produced a piece of driving alongside teammate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap of the race that Martin Brundle admitted he’d never seen before.
Moments like that while Magnussen is struggling further down the pack might be why Haas have decided that Ocon is the driver to take them forward into 2025.
Official confirmation is still required but teams are acting quickly in this driver market with so much uncertainty up and down the paddock.
The next question is whether Oliver Bearman ends up being the driver in the other car.
The post ‘Definitely going’: Dutch journalist says 140-race F1 driver will be announced as 2025 Haas driver ‘very soon’ appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
