Forgetting Imola
From failing to reach Q2 due to the controversial red flag shown before the session ended, to a failed race comeback caused by a pit stop error during tire changes. Oliver Bearman will certainly not remember the last Imola weekend as one of the best in his career, just like Esteban Ocon, forced to retire from the Emilia-Romagna GP due to a technical failure. But for the two Haas drivers (who have not scored points in the last three races), it’s time to bounce back at the upcoming event in the Monaco Principality.
The importance of qualifying and new challenges
At the most glamorous street circuit in the world, both Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon hold more or less positive memories, starting with the Frenchman, who secured a podium here driving for Alpine, finishing 3rd: “Monaco is a race all of us drivers eagerly await,” he said. “I have incredible memories after getting on the podium in 2023, so whenever I go there it’s always special. It’s also a bit of a home race because it’s a French-speaking country and I have many people close to my heart in the region, so it’s nice to spend time there and race on these streets; it’s a privilege. Formula 1 really comes alive in Monaco—when you get close to the wall, lap times improve, and it’s a rewarding weekend if you do a good job, or a terrible one if you don’t. Many details need to be fine-tuned and Saturday is always the key, even though this year the race will be a two-stop strategy, which hopefully will open up more opportunities. Qualifying will remain the key and it’s the moment you have to maximize.”
The challenge ahead
Also close to the podium, this time in Formula 2, was Oliver Bearman, when the Ferrari Driver Academy driver finished fourth last year with Prema in the Feature Race: “I’m really looking forward to racing this week in Monaco because, for me, living there makes it like a home race. It’s a very special event with a rich history in Formula 1, and the circuit itself is an incredible challenge for drivers, being very difficult and requiring insane amounts of precision. It’s quite bumpy and low-speed, which poses new challenges for the engineering team, but I’m excited to perform there and hope the fans enjoy it as much as we do. The two stops will be interesting—I don’t yet know how they will play out—but it’s another challenge. I think the excitement of Monaco will always be on Saturday with qualifying—I don’t think that will ever change—but I also think the race will be quite interesting this year.”
Leave a Reply