Last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix was a bruising wake-up call for Haas, with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman limping home in 13th and 14th place respectively , leaving the American team as one of just three outfits without points in a wild, wet-dry Melbourne thriller.
The VF-25, touted as a step forward after a solid 2024, looked lost all weekend, its drivers scratching their heads as the car’s pace was nowhere to be found amid Albert Park’s shifting conditions – wind, heat, and a Sunday downpour.
For Ocon, making his Haas debut, and Bearman, the rookie with Ferrari polish, it was a long slog that yielded data but no glory.
A Rough Start Down Under
Haas never found their footing in Melbourne. From Friday’s gusty practice to Saturday’s scorching qualifying – where Bearman’s gearbox woes left him lapless and Ocon languished in 19th – the VF-25 seemed allergic to speed.
Race day brought rain, turning the track into a lottery, but even that couldn’t shuffle Haas into contention. Both drivers stayed clean, avoiding the carnage that claimed four of Bearman’s rookie peers, yet they trailed the pack.
A bold call to stick with intermediates under a Safety Car while others swapped to slicks hinted at strategy, but it flopped.
“It was worth trying as in the end we didn’t lose any time, we just optimised what we had,” Ocon said, reflecting on the gamble.
The Frenchman, usually a points predator, could only watch as the top 10 danced just out of reach.
“If we had a little bit more we could have been in the mix for points,” he admitted. “The cars were fighting just in front and I was there. There was two or three positions for me to get inside the top 10 but I just couldn’t keep up unfortunately.”
For Bearman, survival was a small victory after a weekend of mishaps – two dry-session spins had already dented his prep.
“That was the aim, get the laps in and collect data really,” he said. “I was quite happy with my performance, I felt I executed pretty well.”
Pace Puzzle Stumps the Pair
What stung most was the VF-25’s mysterious slump. Pre-season buzz had pegged Haas as midfield contenders, but Albert Park exposed a chasm. Ocon, drawing on 156 races of experience, couldn’t hide his shock.
“That’s why we need to give it a good look as it is not what we’ve seen, so it is quite unexpected to be where we are in this weekend,” he said.
©Haas
Bearman echoed the sentiment, calling the lack of pace “an unwelcome surprise.”
“I think it’s been a surprise for all of us that we are not in the fight for points, so that’s of course an unwelcome surprise, we are a bit disappointed with that,” he noted.
The car’s struggles weren’t masked by the conditions – whether dry or drenched, Haas lagged. Ocon’s frustration was palpable as he dissected the missed opportunity.
“I think it is really the performance we missed out on this race,” he said, pinpointing the VF-25’s deficit. Bearman, meanwhile, saw the weekend’s chaos as a chance to experiment, even if it didn’t pay off.
“There were a few things where we lost a bit of time, but when we are not fighting for the points, that’s the time to try things, and it didn’t work out,” he explained.
The data haul was a silver lining, but it couldn’t gloss over the blunt reality: Haas had misfired.
Eyes on China
Both drivers clung to optimism as they packed up for Shanghai. Ocon, ever the fighter, vowed a rebound.
“I’m sure we will figure out things to turn it around in the next round,” he said, his tone resolute.
Bearman, too, found a spark in finishing unscathed. “I’m glad with how I performed, obviously finishing the weekend on a high is good, and now we head to China,” he said.
©Haas
For the rookie, P14 was a foothold – credible given his limited running and the rookie carnage around him. “But we are going to work hard to fix that,” he added, aligning with Ocon’s determination.
Haas’ Melbourne nightmare wasn’t the debut Ocon or Bearman envisioned. The VF-25’s pace drought left them stranded, but their grit—and that precious data—offers a lifeline.
China looms as a reset button, and this duo isn’t ready to wave the white flag yet.
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