Esteban Ocon rejects reports that a heated row with Haas boss Ayao Komatsu turned physical and got him dropped in Mexico City.
Esteban Ocon has pushed back hard on reports that his exit from the Haas lineup at the Mexico City Grand Prix came after a physical confrontation with team principal Ayao Komatsu. The Frenchman says the version of events doing the rounds is not what happened.
The story gathered pace after Ocon was dropped for the Mexico weekend. Reports linked the decision to a row with Komatsu that supposedly went beyond words. Ocon denies any physical altercation took place.
Being pulled from a race seat is a big moment for any driver, and in a paddock that thrives on rumour, a decision like this quickly fuels speculation. The claims of a scuffle turned a team call into a major talking point, and Ocon is now trying to set the record straight and protect his reputation.
The denial leaves plenty of questions about what led to the split between driver and team, and what comes next for Ocon. For now, he is making clear that whatever happened behind closed doors at Haas, it did not involve fists.
