Esteban Ocon frustrated after poor strategy at Spa: “We must work as a team”. Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman express frustration after poor strategy calls at Spa.

Esteban Ocon did not mince his words when analyzing his performance at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The French driver ended the race in 14th place and strongly criticized the team’s strategy decisions. His teammate, British rookie Oliver Bearman, also expressed disappointment despite finishing ahead in 11th place.

A setback in Belgium

Esteban Ocon had delivered a promising performance during the Sprint race on Saturday, finishing in an encouraging fifth place. The result highlighted his strong connection with the Belgian track, where he has often achieved solid performances throughout his Formula 1 career. Expectations were therefore high heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix, especially for a potential points finish.

Lining up 11th on the starting grid, just ahead of teammate Oliver Bearman, Ocon approached the race on a damp circuit with optimism. Both drivers managed to maintain their respective positions until lap 11. At that point, they swapped positions just before Bearman headed into the pit lane one lap later. After his stop, the young British driver rejoined the race in 14th position.

From that moment on, Oliver Bearman was able to gradually climb up the order, eventually securing 11th place by the checkered flag. In contrast, Esteban Ocon’s race began to unravel following his own pit stop on lap 13. The timing of the stop proved costly, as he re-entered the track in last place, unable to recover meaningful ground.

Driver reactions post-race

Esteban Ocon finished the race in 14th position and did not hide his disappointment. He was candid in his assessment of the situation, stating: “Unfortunately, I believe we completely got it wrong. We have to work together as a team because the pace was actually there, especially in the later stages when the track was dry. We stayed out two laps too long on the intermediate tyres, and then I switched to used medium tyres. That meant I did 85% of the race on used tyres, which obviously impacted the performance. That’s something we must seriously evaluate.”

Oliver Bearman echoed similar frustrations. The British driver, who last scored points at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix earlier in the season, explained how strategy missteps and technical issues prevented him from finishing inside the top ten: “I think we were a bit late with the first pit stop when we switched to the medium compound tyres. That left me just outside the points in 11th place,” Bearman explained.

“Unfortunately, I had an engine issue and lost three positions. I had been ahead of Pierre Gasly, and with Nico Hülkenberg making two stops, I could have finished 10th. I managed to hold on to that position for most of the race, the car was fantastic today, but I simply couldn’t overtake. It’s a real shame because the performance was there,” he added.

Despite the frustration at Spa, Oliver Bearman is optimistic about the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix: “I believe we can still feel positive heading to Hungary. We showed strong pace this weekend, and I think the Hungaroring is a circuit that really suits our car. Hopefully, we can convert that into points next time.”