Esteban Ocon finished eighth in Baku, marking his highest result of the 2026 season in a campaign where the Haas driver was often held back by inconsistent car performance. He expressed excitement after being narrowly beaten to seventh place by Arvid Lindblad by just 0.03 seconds.
The Frenchman stated he deserved the strong result when the car was working properly, emphasizing that Haas had shown competitive pace throughout the Baku weekend. He made successful overtakes including a move just before the finish line similar to one at Zandvoort.
Ocon boldly declared his ability among Formula 1's elite, saying he has raced with everyone on the grid and consistently performed at their level. He cited his winning record across championships including Formula Renault, go-karts, European Formula 3, GP3, and his Formula 1 victory.
The result provided positive momentum for Ocon, who is likely losing his Haas seat for 2027 and had been frustrated by qualifying issues in Baku. He expressed optimism for the upcoming races at Sepang and Singapore despite acknowledging the challenges of high-speed corners for his car.