Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon recently swapped the high-stress pressure of the Grand Prix paddock for the flashing lights of Hollywood. On July 29, 2026, he attended the star-studded United Kingdom premiere of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, England, U.K.
Accompanied by Flavy Barla, the Haas driver turned heads on the red carpet. The two have been dating since 2023.
While Barla stunned in an elegant floor-length plum halter dress, Ocon kept it sleek in a dark double-breasted jacket paired with a black t-shirt. However, it was not just his sharp attire catching attention—he proudly carried a special piece of racing memorabilia: a bespoke, web-patterned Spider-Man racing helmet.
Esteban Ocon
Ocon’s deep-rooted fandom for the web-slinger is well-documented. Having watched the films dozens of times during his early karting days traveling across Europe, his passion culminated in an official collaboration with Sony and franchise star Tom Holland. As part of the promotional buildup, only three bespoke helmets mirroring the superhero’s costume were manufactured. Ocon debuted the design on track during a double-header stretch across the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix, gifted a second to Holland himself, and brought the third along to the London premiere.
This glamorous movie-night respite provided a welcome escape from what has been a demanding F1 season for the Frenchman. Earlier in the Belgian GP weekend, Ocon found himself making headlines off-track for a minor mishap when he arrived roughly one minute late to the official FIA drivers’ press conference. Rushing from a team meeting, the Haas driver underestimated the transit time, missing only the initial introductions. Though the stewards acknowledged his presence for all media questions, the regulatory breach carried a standard €5,000 fine for the team, which was suspended for 12 months on the condition of no repeat offenses.
As the Formula 1 grid enters its summer break, Ocon sits 17th in the drivers’ standings with three points, and questions regarding his 2027 seat remain a topic of frequent speculation. Yet, stepping away from the paddock hustle to rub shoulders with cinematic royalty like Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Tom Holland offered a unique highlight. Whether or not his future on the racing grid shifts gears, Ocon’ immortalized crossover into the Spider-Man universe ensured his summer break started with a blockbuster splash.
Ocon will turn 30 on September 17, 2026. He was born in Évreux, Eure, France, which is around 1,022 kilometers away from Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France.
Flavy Barla
Born and raised in Nice, Barla is a trained figure skater and dancer who plays tennis. She is 5’71⁄2” tall.
When Barla was a teenager, she started competing in beauty pageants. She is Miss Côte d’Azur 2022.
On December 17, 2022, Barla represented Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur at Miss France 2023 and competed against 29 other candidates at M.A.CH 36 in Châteauroux, Centre-Val de Loire, France. She was fifth runner-up to Indira Ampiot of Guadeloupe, France.
Born in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, Ampiot turned 21 on September 19, 2025. Barla turned 23 on February 8, 2026.
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