May 20 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher says Haas could face a complete driver crisis as speculation intensifies about Esteban Ocon’s future.
Ocon, 29, has come under growing pressure this season amid mounting reports of tension inside Haas and a disappointing performance gap to impressive teammate Oliver Bearman.
Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Schumacher suggested Haas may soon lose both current drivers.
“Haas is really in a dilemma,” he said.
“I expect that Bearman will soon get the chance to drive for a bigger team.”
Bearman remains closely tied to Ferrari through the Ferrari Driver Academy, and Schumacher believes the Italian team effectively controls his future.
“I can imagine Ferrari has the right of first refusal on Bearman if they needed him,” he explained.
“That means if Lewis Hamilton actually decides to retire, Bearman would also be gone.”
Schumacher was far harsher when discussing Ocon. “One thing is clear – Ocon isn’t good enough,” he said.
“At best, he’s on par with Bearman, and usually worse. And I mean, Bearman is still at the beginning of his career – he’s still developing.”
The former grand prix winner believes Ocon’s Formula 1 future is now highly uncertain.
“I can’t imagine we’ll see Ocon next year,” Schumacher said.
“That’s pretty much set in stone, unless some team has a major problem.”
The German also suggested Haas could even make a driver change before the end of the current season. “Changing a driver in the middle of the year is unusual, but it’s possible,” he warned.
“That would mean potentially looking at Formula 2 and taking a top Formula 2 driver and giving him the opportunity early on.”
Schumacher seemed to confirm speculation that deeper interpersonal issues could be at the heart of Ocon’s current predicament. “When you meet Esteban Ocon, he’s an incredibly nice, eloquent guy,” he said.
“But he seems to be really difficult within the team. Especially when he’s also slower.”
“That was already the case with Pierre Gasly at Alpine, and it’s the same now with Bearman at Haas.”
The 50-year-old believes internal harmony is critical for a midfield team like Haas. “You can work with anything, of course, but not an enemy within your own house,” Schumacher said.
He said Toto Wolff could be the key to Ocon’s next move. “From what I hear, he’s apparently also a protege of Toto Wolff,” Schumacher said.
“So I’m 100 percent certain that management is advising him to keep a low profile.”