Five drivers are in contention for the vacant 2027 Formula 1 seat at Haas, among them Esteban Ocon and test driver Jack Doohan. With the competition tightening, Doohan is back behind the wheel at Jerez, the Spanish circuit long favoured for winter running, where he will line up alongside two Toyota drivers and attempt to prove he belongs.
Running in parallel is the question of identity. Because of the Oliver Bearman factor, the American-owned team is entirely untroubled by the idea of being cast as Ferrari's junior outfit. Team principal Ayao Komatsu made clear that the label means nothing to him, since what the team's development actually requires is simply the two fastest drivers available. Expectation is building, yet management is in no hurry. An answer will certainly not arrive in the coming week, Komatsu confirmed — Haas intend to measure all five candidates against the strictest criteria before settling their 2027 line-up.
