Oliver Bearman left the Singapore Grand Prix frustrated despite producing several eye-catching overtakes and feeling that he had driven one of his stronger races. The Haas driver finished 12th after showing good pace in the early stages, but admitted the team was still missing roughly two tenths per lap to fight consistently for points.
Haas had at least enjoyed a points-scoring result in the Sprint, with Oliver Bearman finishing sixth. However, Sunday’s Grand Prix proved more difficult, even though the Briton was one of the more active drivers in the opening part of the race.
Oliver Bearman scores only in the Singapore Sprint
Nico Hülkenberg’s double points finish for Audi at the Singapore weekend allowed the German manufacturer to reduce its deficit to Haas in the Constructors’ Championship. Haas had also scored in the Sprint thanks to Oliver Bearman, who finished sixth in the final Sprint of the season.
The Briton was unable to repeat that result in the main race, although he remained one of the more prominent drivers during the opening stages.
Oliver Bearman impresses with Singapore overtakes
Oliver Bearman eventually crossed the line in 12th place, but the driver of car number 87 completed several impressive overtakes along the way.
The standout move came on Carlos Sainz at the inside of Turn 8, where Oliver Bearman made a decisive pass that, at the time, moved him into 10th position.
“I got a little boxed in at the start on the first lap, but then I managed to make a couple of overtakes and gain a few positions,” Oliver Bearman explained.
“The problem is that, in the end, it’s difficult to overtake and, even though we had good pace, we were a little too far away from the points. I’m happy with the car and with how I managed the race; I think I drove really well.
“We still need another couple of tenths per lap, so let’s see what we can do in the next triple-header.”
Bearman and Ocon offer contrasting Haas assessments
Oliver Bearman’s assessment contrasted with that of team-mate Esteban Ocon, who was also overtaken by the Briton during the opening stages and eventually finished 13th.
“The start was excellent and we made the most of our usual strengths: a good initial launch and a couple of effective opening laps,” Esteban Ocon said.
“After that, though, we lacked pace; we achieved the maximum possible, so there is a lot to analyse.
“It was a difficult weekend: I had no grip and the car was sliding. When you are missing grip and the ability to push on a track like this, it’s difficult to achieve a good result.
“There were still some positives, though, and we’ll need to carry those into the next triple-header.”
Haas therefore left Singapore with mixed feelings. Oliver Bearman’s Sprint points and aggressive racecraft showed flashes of potential, but both drivers agreed that more performance will be needed if the team is to convert those moments into stronger Grand Prix results.
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