Esteban Ocon has identified two persistent problems with the Haas VF-26 after a disappointing 2026 United States Grand Prix, revealing that front-wheel locking and high-speed understeer continue to undermine the team’s race performance. The French driver finished 14th at the Circuit of The Americas despite an excellent start, while teammate Oliver Bearman retired following an early collision with Pierre Gasly that also resulted in a 10-second penalty.
Haas had hoped for a considerably stronger performance at its home Grand Prix in Austin, but the American team ultimately left Texas without adding to its championship points tally. Although both drivers demonstrated encouraging pace during the opening stages, recurring handling difficulties and the consequences of Oliver Bearman’s collision prevented the team from converting that potential into a competitive result.
Esteban Ocon reveals recurring Haas problems after disappointing Austin race
Starting from 15th on the grid, Esteban Ocon produced another impressive launch and quickly climbed to 12th place. The Frenchman maintained that position after completing his first and only pit stop, initially appearing capable of challenging for a stronger result in the midfield battle.
However, the second half of the race proved considerably more difficult. Esteban Ocon was unable to match the pace of the two Audi drivers and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, eventually slipping to 14th before the chequered flag.
Speaking after the race, the Haas driver highlighted the team’s consistently impressive starts as one of the few genuine positives from a frustrating afternoon.
“We made an exceptional start, as we often do. After all, we’re the best in that area. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve consistently gained two or three positions at the start, and we managed to do that again at COTA. I’m proud of the good work we’ve done in that respect.”
The encouraging start and successful pit stop were not enough to compensate for the handling difficulties that had affected the VF-26 throughout the weekend. As the race progressed, the same weaknesses returned and prevented Esteban Ocon from defending his position against faster rivals.
Front-wheel locking and high-speed understeer remain Haas weaknesses
Esteban Ocon explained that the main problems concerned two distinct aspects of the car’s behaviour: a tendency to lock the front wheels under braking and pronounced understeer through faster corners.
Both issues had already appeared during practice and qualifying, suggesting that Haas had not completely resolved the underlying balance problems before Sunday’s race.
“The pit stop also went well, but during the second stint we struggled to keep the other cars behind us. The problems we experienced throughout the weekend came back. I continued to suffer from front-wheel locking and significant understeer in the high-speed sections.”
Front-wheel locking can compromise braking performance and corner entry, particularly when a driver is trying to maintain a consistent rhythm during a long stint. High-speed understeer creates a different challenge, making it difficult to position the car accurately and maintain the intended racing line through faster corners.
For Esteban Ocon, the combination made it increasingly difficult to compete with the cars around him, despite the initial positions gained at the start.
“We absolutely need to analyse and resolve these problems, making sure we eliminate them before Mexico. One positive is that we managed to reduce the problem slightly through setup changes, but that’s the maximum we can achieve with the components we currently have.”
The comments suggest that Haas has already explored the available setup options, but further improvements may require changes beyond adjustments to the existing configuration.
With the next race taking place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the team has limited time to understand the weaknesses exposed in Austin. The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend will therefore provide an immediate opportunity to assess whether Haas can improve its balance and eliminate the recurring handling problems.
Oliver Bearman receives 10-second penalty after Pierre Gasly collision
Oliver Bearman endured an even more difficult afternoon. The British driver, who had previously brought Haas back into the points during the Singapore Sprint, became involved in a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the second lap of the United States Grand Prix.
The incident occurred during an attempted overtake at Turn 13, after Oliver Bearman had gained ground following the early Virtual Safety Car period. The Haas driver believed he had sufficient momentum and battery energy to challenge the cars ahead, prompting him to attempt an aggressive move on Pierre Gasly.
The two cars made contact, resulting in substantial damage to the Haas. The stewards subsequently judged Oliver Bearman responsible for causing the collision and imposed a 10-second time penalty, which he served before eventually retiring because of the damage.
The British driver nevertheless maintained that the incident should have been treated as a racing incident rather than an offence deserving a penalty.
“After the VSC, I managed to get away well and had a good amount of battery energy available, which meant I caught the two cars ahead of me very quickly. That forced Pierre to defend on the approach to Turn 12, and then at Turn 13 I attempted a move down the inside.”
“To be fair, he had seen me because he left some space, but in my opinion it wasn’t enough. He left room, but only for half a car. I was already committed to the move, so we made slight contact. My car suffered considerable damage, and I probably damaged his car as well.”
Oliver Bearman disputes penalty and refuses to regret aggressive move
Oliver Bearman’s frustration was intensified by the fact that the collision had already effectively ruined his race. In his view, receiving a sporting penalty on top of the damage amounted to being punished twice for the same incident.
The Haas driver explained that he had attempted to avoid contact by moving onto the kerb and insisted he had not lost control of his car during the overtaking attempt.
“It’s a real shame because I felt I had been penalised twice. The damage compromised my race and, on top of that, I received a penalty. From my point of view, it was a racing incident.”
“I attempted the overtake because I believed I was entitled to more space than I actually received. I didn’t lose control of the car, and I had to go onto the kerb to try to avoid contact.”
Despite the consequences, Oliver Bearman made clear that he did not regret attempting the manoeuvre. The British driver believes Haas must sometimes take risks to challenge for points, particularly when the car does not have enough outright performance to compete comfortably with its midfield rivals.
“I don’t regret trying, because at this stage of the season, if we don’t do something special — perhaps with a little luck and an aggressive approach — we won’t be able to score points. We’re not always fast enough to achieve that purely on merit.”
His comments underline the difficult position Haas finds itself in as the 2026 season approaches its final stages. While the VF-26 can occasionally demonstrate competitive pace, the team still faces limitations that make scoring points a significant challenge.
Haas faces urgent task before 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix highlighted contrasting strengths and weaknesses within the Haas package. Both drivers demonstrated impressive starting performance, and Esteban Ocon’s first stint offered some encouragement, but the team’s race pace and handling consistency proved insufficient to maintain its early positions.
Oliver Bearman’s retirement added to the disappointment, leaving Haas without a points finish at its home race and raising further questions about how the team can capitalise on the opportunities that arise during competitive midfield battles.
For Esteban Ocon, the most important task is addressing the front-locking and high-speed understeer problems before the next Grand Prix. Setup adjustments produced a limited improvement in Austin, but the Frenchman believes Haas has already reached the limits of what can be achieved with its current components.
With Mexico approaching, the American team must now build on its strong starts while finding a more consistent level of performance throughout the race. Unless Haas can reduce the handling problems that repeatedly affected the VF-26 in Austin, converting promising opening laps into valuable championship points will remain a difficult challenge.
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