Esteban Ocon reflected on the outcome of qualifying and is certain that Haas could have reached Q2. Despite their efforts, neither of the Haas drivers managed to advance past Q1. Both Ocon and Oliver Bearman ended their sessions earlier than expected, even though they had the pace to go further.
Tomorrow, the two American team drivers will start from 18th – Esteban Ocon – and 19th – Ollie Bearman – for the Dutch Grand Prix.
However, changing weather conditions could create new opportunities for drivers starting further back on the grid, and with Haas’s typical race pace, both could climb through the field.
Ocon is confident that if the opportunity arises, both he and his teammate could make progress. He also knows that improving their qualifying pace is essential, but he is convinced the team has the capability to reach Q2. “This week we were unlucky, but we will bounce back at Monza,” he said.
Ocon’s words
Both Haas drivers exited in Q1 during today’s qualifying session, but what was the real issue? Was it the car or something else?
Ocon explained: “No, I think during qualifying everything was going a bit better. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a strong pace from the start of the weekend.”
“It was possible to reach Q2 for both me and Ollie. I felt that everything was improving for me during qualifying. On that last lap, I had the pace to get into Q2, but I ran wide in turn 11. That cost me a little over a tenth. So the margins were very fine, and unfortunately, they make a big difference,” the French driver added.
“Looking at the timing, it’s a bit of a shame because we are really on the edge, let’s say. Everything that was needed to reach Q2 just went against us.” – said the 28-year-old – “It went against me, it went against Ollie. I believe as a team we have much more pace and can reach Q2. So it’s a bit disappointing. We’ll work on it for the future.”
“Overall, I think we did a good job balancing the car. We put everything together with the car, but there is definitely more we can do in terms of tires and preparation.”
He continued: “Normally, we have a stronger race pace. So I’m looking forward to seeing if that will be the case tomorrow and if we can make our way up the grid. This is what we saw in FP2, so I’m excited to race tomorrow and put all of this behind us.”
Oliver “Ollie” Bearman also commented on tire management, especially regarding the soft compound. Haas still struggles to find the optimal tire window, which was evident today.
“Yes, I think so. I believe this is an area where we can improve as a team. And that’s probably why we were much faster in the final run compared to the previous one. Unfortunately, it all came a bit late. But that’s qualifying,” Esteban Ocon admitted.
Finally, he addressed the weather, which could potentially help them during the Dutch GP, although he isn’t counting on rain. In fact, he would prefer a dry race to better gauge the car’s potential.
“No, I’m not counting on it [rain]. If it comes, it will bring opportunities. But it would also be nice to have a dry race to see where we really are,” concluded the 28-year-old.
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