The 2025 F1 Imola GP will mark Esteban Ocon’s seventh round with Haas, having joined the team after his tumultuous departure from Alpine at the end of 2024. Despite a turbulent start to the season, and several fundamental challenges associated with the VF-25, Haas currently sits sixth in the 2025 Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship with 20 points. Ocon, now in his ninth season of Formula 1, has scored the majority of these and currently holds ninth in the 2025 World Drivers’ Championship standings with 14 points.
With a seventeen-point gap to Williams, and with none of the ten teams letting up in their development programmes, both Ocon and Haas will aim for a strong weekend as they continue their championship fight.
An Italian connection: Maranello’s influence on Haas
A strong performance at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari would be especially important as the team looks to pay tribute to its Maranello-based technical department. When asked if he and Haas viewed the 2025 Imola GP as a home race, Ocon replied, “I mean, a little bit of course.”
The Frenchman elaborated that although Haas races under the American flag, their Maranello operations add some “Italian DNA”. He reflected on the role the Italian base plays in their preparations.
“We prepare so much in the season in the simulator and obviously in the part of the team in Maranello. We were there on Tuesday, I was there at the wind tunnel in Maranello, so in a way it is a little bit a part of the team, the Italian DNA, which is very nice. I was able to spend a couple of days in Italy. It’s always special to come here. It’s a beautiful, historical track. I’ve been coming to it for quite a long time now and yeah, it’s an enjoyable one to race on.”
Building momentum after a difficult start
Following a challenging start to the 2025 season and a disappointing result at the Australian GP, Haas focused on overcoming the limitations of the VF-25. Ocon, who secured points for Haas in Bahrain and China, has observed measurable progress within the team ahead of the 2025 Imola GP.
“I think we’ve improved a lot since Melbourne. We had a very difficult first race of the year where we were basically last on the grid. We’ve managed to turn the car around and to be a car that’s fighting for points every race. We’ve had a couple of really good ones where we managed to maximise the potential.”
Maximising every opportunity
Although Haas has shown improvement, Ocon acknowledged the fierce competition across the midfield. He stressed the need for precision and consistent execution in order to stay within reach of the points.
“But it is very close out there and we need to continue to maximise that potential if we want to be scoring points. We’ll have a couple of things on the car which are a little bit different this weekend, and hopefully that will help us to perform better than the other weeks. We got Q3 in Miami. Unfortunately, we came short of points, but we’ll be fighting to get back into that zone again.”
C6 tyre brings new variables
At the 2025 Imola GP, teams must also contend with the Pirelli C6 compound, which introduces further variables into the mix. While Ocon has previously tested the C6 tyre, he noted that the difference between Abu Dhabi and Imola makes the outcome unpredictable.
“Yeah, it will be the second time for me running that tyre. We ran it for the first time in Abu Dhabi testing, which is a very different track. I think this is going to open much more unknowns and uncertainty on a track we know quite well, which should be interesting. I’m looking forward to driving that and seeing how the degradation evolves — if it opens up opportunities.”
Reflecting on Alpine: no surprises for Ocon
Looking beyond his own team, Ocon also responded to recent developments at Alpine, where Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan. Having left Alpine under less-than-ideal circumstances, Ocon kept his remarks brief but pointed.
“Unfortunately, not really any surprise from some of the decisions that have been taken recently by the team. I don’t have much to say.”
Nonetheless, he sympathised with Doohan, praising the Australian’s pace and predicting a potential return to the grid.
“Obviously, sad for Jack. I’m sure he’ll be back in F1 at some point. He showed some really strong moments this year where he qualified super well and he’s also been super quick in the car — which was good to see.”
Colapinto’s rise and a crowded grid
Ocon also acknowledged that Colapinto had earned his place through strong 2024 performances with Williams Racing.
“On the other hand, Franco also deserves to be in F1. Last year he showed some great things with the Williams car.”
Ultimately, Ocon pointed to a systemic issue within Formula 1: the shortage of available seats for talented drivers.
“Unfortunately, there are not enough cars on the grid to fit all the talents that are out there. But yeah, not much more to say. I’m happy where I am.”
