How Haas snatched double points in Las Vegas – Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon explain. Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon delivered for Haas in Las Vegas,.

The Las Vegas weekend for Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon was a mixed affair. After a difficult qualifying session, Bearman managed an extraordinary start, climbing from 14th to 7th position – later dropping to 8th after being overtaken by Charles Leclerc. Despite managing the race well for a long stretch, he lost several positions before his pit stop, and the second stint proved no easier, eventually having to yield to Ocon on fresher tires.

Bearman and Ocon reflect on the race

“The first lap was really good and we moved into a strong position. Unfortunately, after that, we struggled with race pace, and I just couldn’t find a rhythm with the car,” explained Oliver Bearman.

The Ferrari junior added that his Haas was difficult to drive in slow corners and that the hard tires helped slightly, but he didn’t adjust the car’s aerodynamic balance because he hadn’t fully understood the car in the first stint. From there, the race slipped out of his hands.

Esteban Ocon’s race, in contrast, was built around the longest stint on the medium tires: 27 laps. This allowed the team to put him ahead of Oliver Bearman and attempt to challenge Lewis Hamilton.

“I battled with Lewis all race, really. I thought, ‘What if I had tried to keep him behind more in the first stint?’ He was very quick in the first, and I was much quicker in the second, but it wasn’t enough to get close,” said the French driver.

Overall, Ocon expressed satisfaction, noting several positive aspects from the race.

Championship standings impact

Haas’ persistence paid off when the news came of McLaren’s double disqualification for technical irregularities, moving Esteban Ocon to 9th and Oliver Bearman to 10th. This result puts the American team one point ahead of Aston Martin in the fight for seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.

It’s a timely reminder that in the ultra-tight midfield fight, every position – and every piece of late drama – counts. For a small outfit like Haas, these are the kind of results that can define an entire season.