Haas enjoyed a strong opening weekend in Australia, with Ollie Bearman finishing seventh and Esteban Ocon eleventh at Albert Park, establishing themselves as the midfield’s leading team behind the top four outfits. Both drivers completed only one pit stop and were involved in on-track battles, but only the British youngster emerged victorious. Bearman managed to hold off Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto, but the most exciting moments came during his duel with rookie Arvid Lindblad, featuring multiple overtakes and counter-moves in the second half of the race. Ocon, meanwhile, remained behind his former Alpine teammate, unable to reach the points zone.
Bearman: “Start felt like a video game”
“It was a good race. The first lap wasn’t the best, but then we found a great rhythm and made a few overtakes, so I’m really happy because today we delivered a strong performance,” Bearman commented after the Australian Grand Prix, where he drove Haas into the points after a spectacular comeback. He had started 12th on medium tyres, but a tricky start dropped him into the mid-pack. “The start was very demanding. I dropped to 13th or 14th, but then I managed to recover and, in those first laps, climb back up to 11th using the boost button. I felt like I was playing a video game, but then things settled down, and everyone got back into their rhythm.”
On lap 11, a power unit issue on Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Bearman chose not to pit: “The VSC came out, and I decided to stay out because I was the second car and had clean air. Luckily, there was a second VSC, and we managed to take advantage of it. We overtook the cars that had pitted after the first VSC and essentially reached the end of the race.” The second VSC occurred on lap 18 when Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac stopped near the pit entrance, giving Haas a perfect opportunity. Bearman pitted for hard tyres, intending to finish the race on that compound.
Bearman breaks down the duel with Lindblad
The new F1 regulations, featuring updated power units, overtake mode, and straight-line mode, are designed to enhance overtaking and make races more exciting. Even in the midfield, there were compelling battles. In the second half of the race, Ollie Bearman engaged in a thrilling British duel with rookie Lindblad for seventh place. The more experienced Bearman ultimately prevailed, expertly managing the energy of Haas’ hybrid power unit. “You basically can’t crash. There’s less grip on the straights because of straight-line mode,” explained the 20-year-old Haas driver after the race. “You have to be careful. I used all my battery for Turn 1, then Lindblad passed me in Turn 3 as if I was stationary. In Turn 6, I launched again, trying to regain battery for Turn 9. We were side by side in Turn 9. I get why, the advantage changed so many times.”
Ollie Bearman described the duel with his fellow Brit as enjoyable: “I had to fight with Arvid, who defended brilliantly. He had extra battery in his car, but somehow it made it really fun.” The P7 finish gave Haas its first six points of the season. “It feels special to start the new regulations like this. It’s a great result for the team to be ‘best of the rest.’ We benefited from some retirements ahead, but still, we scored points and earned every single one. I’m proud of this team. Finishing P7 validates all their hard work.”
Ocon: “Frustrating race, should have been in the points”
While Bearman’s race was a success, Esteban Ocon endured a more frustrating weekend, marked by issues that kept him outside the points. The French driver struggled to find rhythm with the VF-26, starting 13th and initially gaining five positions in the midfield. On lap 12, he pitted for hard tyres and returned in tenth place. “It was a frustrating race because we should have been in the points after a strong start, gaining positions. After that, the pace wasn’t right, and we had to deal with serious rear instability.”
During the middle stages, Ocon battled with Bortoleto and Gasly. A clash with his former Alpine teammate caused minor damage to the front wing and floor but did not force a retirement. By lap 39, Gabriel Bortoleto and Pierre Gasly passed him, relegating Ocon to 11th. “It was frustrating because I feel the car could have done much more. Even though we still have areas to improve, we learned a lot this weekend. I’m happy for the team that we scored points in Melbourne because we worked hard during the break to prepare for the season.”
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