Haas left the 2026 United States Grand Prix without scoring any points, but team principal Ayao Komatsu believes the result at Austin fails to reflect the progress demonstrated by the VF-26. Oliver Bearman’s race ended in retirement following damage sustained in contact with another car, while Esteban Ocon struggled with handling problems during the second stint. Nevertheless, the American team identified encouraging signs in its race pace and starts ahead of the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix.
For Haas, the final outcome at the Circuit of the Americas was disappointing, particularly after Oliver Bearman had shown the potential to fight for a top-ten finish. However, the team believes its performance was more competitive than the classification suggested, with both drivers enjoying strong starts and the car demonstrating improvements that had already begun to emerge during previous race weekends.
Ayao Komatsu sees encouraging Haas race pace despite Austin disappointment
Following the United States Grand Prix, Ayao Komatsu acknowledged the frustration of leaving Austin without points. Rather than focusing exclusively on the outcome, however, the Japanese team principal preferred to highlight the positive developments that could provide a foundation for the remaining races of the season.
“The race result was disappointing, but I think there are a lot of positives to take from this weekend,” Ayao Komatsu explained.
The Haas team principal was particularly encouraged by the opening phase of the race, during which both cars made excellent starts. Oliver Bearman, in particular, appeared capable of challenging for a points-paying position before his race was compromised by damage.
“Both cars had excellent starts and Ollie was fighting for P9 or P10, and without the damage he sustained, I think he had the pace to fight for it.”
Ayao Komatsu believes the VF-26 was especially competitive over a race distance, reinforcing the improvements that Haas had already observed during recent weekends. Although the team’s qualifying performance had left it with work to do, there was greater confidence in its ability to compete once the Grand Prix began.
“We knew our race pace was going to be stronger than our qualifying pace,” Ayao Komatsu added.
That distinction was particularly important at Austin, where the team needed to make progress through the field to challenge for points. Unfortunately, the promising early stages did not translate into the result Haas had hoped to achieve, with Oliver Bearman’s retirement removing one of its strongest opportunities.
Oliver Bearman refuses to regret aggressive move after Austin retirement
Oliver Bearman left the United States Grand Prix with understandable disappointment after a race that had initially appeared capable of producing a valuable result. The British driver had worked his way into contention for the points before contact damaged his car and ultimately forced him to retire.
Despite the outcome, Oliver Bearman made clear that he did not regret attempting the move that preceded the incident. The Haas driver believes taking risks is necessary when the team is fighting for points against closely matched competitors.
“I don’t regret trying the move because, at this point in the season, if we don’t do something special and make a bit of our own luck by being aggressive and going for it, we’re simply not going to score points,” Oliver Bearman explained.
His comments reflect the fine margins Haas faces in the midfield. When outright performance is not enough to guarantee a top-ten finish, drivers may need to exploit opportunities more aggressively, even though that approach carries the possibility of losing a promising result.
The Austin retirement was nevertheless disappointing for Oliver Bearman, particularly because the VF-26 appeared to have the pace needed to compete for ninth or tenth place. The 2026 United States Grand Prix classification confirmed another race without points for Haas, with Oliver Bearman retiring and Esteban Ocon finishing 14th.
Esteban Ocon identifies front lock-ups and high-speed understeer
On the other side of the Haas garage, Esteban Ocon also found reasons for encouragement despite a difficult afternoon. The French driver highlighted another particularly effective start, something he believes has become a consistent strength of the team throughout the 2026 season.
“We had a mega start, as always. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve always gained two or three positions at the start,” Esteban Ocon explained.
However, the promising getaway was not enough to overcome the handling difficulties that affected his race. Although setup changes had helped reduce some of the problems encountered during the weekend, the car remained inconsistent, particularly during the second stint.
Esteban Ocon reported continuing front-wheel lock-ups under braking, along with significant understeer through the faster corners. These characteristics prevented him from exploiting the full potential of the VF-26 and made it difficult to sustain a competitive rhythm.
“I was still having front lock-ups and I still had quite a lot of understeer in the high-speed corners. These inconsistencies are something we really need to work on and understand.”
The French driver’s assessment highlights one of the main areas Haas must address as it continues developing its understanding of the car. While changes to the setup have delivered improvements, they have not yet eliminated the balance issues that can compromise performance over a full race distance.
Haas takes renewed confidence into Mexico despite missing Austin points
Although the United States Grand Prix ended without a points finish, Haas believes Austin provided further evidence of the VF-26’s potential. Strong starts from both drivers and encouraging race pace suggested the team was capable of fighting more competitively than its final result indicated.
For Ayao Komatsu, the challenge is now to turn those promising signs into more consistent results. Oliver Bearman’s interrupted race demonstrated the potential for a points finish, while Esteban Ocon’s feedback offered clear areas for further work on the car’s balance and handling.
The team will carry those lessons into the Mexico City Grand Prix, hoping to build on its progress and reduce the remaining weaknesses that have prevented it from fully exploiting its performance.
Ultimately, Austin may have been disappointing in terms of the championship points collected, but Haas leaves the weekend believing it is closer to its rivals than the final classification suggests. That confidence, rather than the result itself, is the main positive the American team will take into the next race.
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