Esteban Ocon: "My head is going to explode" with all…

This Friday marked the first day of practice for a grand prix weekend in the 2026 Formula 1 season. With the numerous changes introduced by the new regulations, particularly in the way these cars are driven, the approach to free practice is different from previous seasons.

However, since this is the first race under the new rules, many aspects remain unclear for the teams. When asked about his first Friday of the 2026 season, which on paper seemed to go smoothly with a 10th and 11th place in the two practice sessions, Esteban Ocon admitted that, despite nine days of winter testing, there is still a very long list of things to learn.

"[There is] a lot going on," said the Frenchman with a smile. "There's a lot of details and complications. To be honest, my head is going to explode right now with how much information there is. Its a lot to take, but that's what we have to do as drivers.

"It's been interesting to go on a different track to see how the car feels. In terms of balance, its been here and there pretty much, with little detail with need to improve again."

Esteban Ocon (Haas) (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images)

One of the major challenges at the start of this season will be how teams and drivers manage the new energy management system. Energy deployment will play a crucial role in both the race and qualifying, and it will be decisive in the pursuit of performance and results on Sunday.

Yet, despite the increased importance of certain aspects, Ocon reminded that teams and drivers cannot lose sight of the fundamentals of a weekend’s preparation.

"Luckily, our car feels ok in terms of balance," the Haas driver explained. "There are little details to fix, but we're not miles off. If it has been last year's car, it would have been very different and much more difficult.

"So, we have a bit more room to play with, or focusing on one thing which is quite good. But we still can't forget the rest you know. Feeling comfortable in the car, getting maximum grip with the tires. So we need to focus on the basics really."

While keen to highlight the positives from the first day of running in Australia, Ocon admitted that his team still had room to improve in other one key areas.

"But in terms of energy delivery, that's where we need to obviously optimise a lot more," he added. "There's a lot to gain on that side and its not easy to drive around at the moment. So, that's all going to be up [for] grabs, if we manage to maximise with the engineers and with the driving as well. We'll see how it goes tomorrow."

Ocon tempers optimism around Haas

At the same time last year, Haas discovered with dismay the problems of its VF-25, which left it far behind its rivals. The storm has long since passed, and this season’s start seems much more promising, but Ocon still prefers to temper expectations.

"It's only Friday though," he pointed out. "It's the first day. The conditions are great, blue sky, yesterday there was a bit of wind but not too much. Let's wait and see. Let's do a few more tracks in the year and see. Let's go into tomorrow first and lets' see how that goes."