Esteban Ocon is cooking up a Marvel-flavoured surprise — and he wants you to keep your notifications on.
The Haas driver, who quietly racked up two film credits this year with a cameo in the French comedy Lune de Miel avec ma Mère and a part in the F1 movie, says there’s “something special” landing before the end of the year. And yes, the lifelong comic-book nerd is hinting in one direction.
“That’s a big passion of mine. I’m really into comics, Marvel Comics in particular,” Ocon told F1’s official site. “We have some exciting movies coming out next year… a new Spider-Man, new Avengers. It’s going to be really cool, I can’t wait for that. I’ve got something special coming soon as well, which will be very nice, and I hope all the fans will love it! It’s going to come before the end of the year, so stay in touch…”
It tracks. Ocon’s a US-team driver in 2025 with Haas, he’s increasingly comfortable in front of a camera, and he speaks about the Marvel slate with the kind of detail only a true fan drops. Don’t be shocked if there’s a crossover of some sort, whether that’s a brand tie-up, a short feature, or a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo that’ll light up Reddit frame-by-frame the minute it drops.
The Frenchman’s taste, however, isn’t limited to one universe. Asked for his favourite film, he didn’t reach for the MCU at all. “I think it contradicts what I said before, because I’m a big fan of Marvel, but my favourite movie is The Dark Knight Rises, so it’s actually Batman, kind of,” he joked. “It’s more The Dark Knight than Batman. That has to be my favourite. It’s DC Comics, and I’m not the biggest fan of DC Comics in general otherwise, but that one with Christian Bale is something insane. Then it’s Iron Man and Spider-Man!”
It’s been a busy year for Ocon on and off the grid: shakedowns, Bahrain testing miles in the VF-25, a step into Hollywood’s orbit via the F1 film, and now a mystery project with a superhero tint. Still, none of this appear-on-a-poster stuff is stopping him from doing what he’s always done between races — getting his hands dirty.
“Outside of that, I like doing sports with the people I love, mountain biking, going to the gym together… But I’m a big petrolhead as well, going to work with my dad on cars, on racing buggies, on go-karts, I like to put my hands into it,” he said. “RC cars as well. It’s something I do probably a lot more than a lot of drivers. Probably Fernando [Alonso] is very similar in that case, but I like these things, for sure.”
There’s a nice symmetry to it all. Ocon’s public image has matured into something sharp and brand-friendly — he’s a Grand Prix winner who can handle a press junket — but the roots are unchanged: the kid who tuned chassis with his dad still shows up. The RC mention is classic Ocon; he’s long been one of the paddock’s most enthusiastic tinkerers, and if you’ve ever seen him light up over a 1:10 scale setup, you know it’s not for show.
As for the silver screen, the F1 movie has finally rolled out to audiences, and Ocon’s small role is part of a wider tapestry of drivers lending authenticity to the production. He won’t say much more about what’s next, beyond that teasing “something special.” In a year where drivers are increasingly building personas that live beyond Sundays, Ocon’s timing feels deliberate — and very Haas. The team’s American footprint and Ocon’s Marvel obsession? That’s a Venn diagram with plenty of commercial upside.
Until he lifts the lid, the best hint might be his own excitement. He sounds like a fan first and a collaborator second, which is exactly why this will land if it’s done right. And if it does happen to involve a quick spin in a superhero universe, don’t expect him to stay still long enough to watch it twice in a row over the holidays.
There are winter rides to plan, gym sessions to grind through, and, inevitably, something small and very fast to chase around a car park with a radio transmitter. That, at least, needs no trailer.
