MOTOR RACING: Ocon hits out at 'fabricated' stories of rift with Haas

MONTREAL – French driver Esteban Ocon dismissed reports of a falling out with his Haas Formula One team on Thursday, calling the stories “fabricated.”

Rumors began circulating after this month’s Miami Grand Prix, suggesting Ocon had clashed with team boss Ayao Komatsu. Speculation online also hinted that Ocon might be replaced before the end of the season, especially after his British teammate Oliver Bearman scored 17 points compared to Ocon’s one in four races and two sprints.

“The stories have been fabricated with no foundation. There were no real sources in there. I joined this team because of Ayao, because I’ve known him for so long,” Ocon said at the Canadian Grand Prix.

“There was no dispute in Miami, but when I read the article that kicked it all off, they called him Ryo Komatsu. As soon as I read that, I stopped reading,” he added.

The 29-year-old driver acknowledged that the rumors had affected him and his family, describing the experience as “almost like bullying.”

“At the end of the day, I’m human. When it escalates so much and there’s so much going on, it affects my sponsors, my family, it affects everyone around me,” Ocon said.

“It’s not normal that you can fabricate stories like this and just get away with it. You can’t just lie about things. I’ve never faced that in F1 before.”

Haas currently sits sixth in the standings, just five points behind Ocon’s former team, Alpine.

-Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters