A Formula 1 team principals' press conference was held in Baku on September 24 as part of the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, bringing together Audi's Mattia Binotto, Haas' Ayao Komatsu and Red Bull Racing's Laurent Mekies. The team bosses discussed driver line-ups for the 2027 season, car development, the latest upgrades and the future direction of Formula 1 regulations. Mekies confirmed that Isack Hadjar will remain with Red Bull for the 2027 season.
Hadjar returned to the cockpit in Baku after missing the previous three races, with Mekies saying the team waited until he was fully fit before clearing him to race. Mekies said Hadjar's speed, integration into the team and progress throughout the season had made extending his contract an easy decision. Red Bull has activated its option to retain the driver for 2027.
Mekies also discussed Red Bull's recent performances, saying the team had recorded five or six podium finishes in the previous seven races. He said the team was getting closer to the front but still needed to find the final few tenths needed to produce the fastest car. At Haas, Komatsu said the team had not yet decided on Esteban Ocon's future.
Ocon remains an option, while Haas is also evaluating other candidates for the second seat alongside Ollie Bearman. Komatsu said the team expects to make a decision within the next couple of weeks. Komatsu said Haas is looking for a driver with natural speed who can also work closely with the team.
He also highlighted the progress made with the car following upgrades introduced earlier in the season. Binotto said Audi is satisfied with its current driver pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, with both drivers already contracted for next season. He also discussed junior driver Freddie Slater, who finished runner-up in Formula 3 and is expected to take on further Formula 1 duties as part of his development programme.
Audi also brought a heavily upgraded car to Baku. Binotto said the team used the opening practice session to gather data by running different packages on its two cars, with the initial results indicating that the new package was performing as expected. The three team principals also spoke about the Baku circuit and the city.
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