Photograph by Zak Mauger/LAT Photos
Saturday night on the Method 1 Bahrain Grand Prix the temper at Haas was somewhat bleak.
Rookie driver Oliver Bearman had simply certified final for the race, whereas Esteban Ocon’s crash throughout Q2 left the mechanics with some work to do forward of the Grand Prix, and the veteran driver slotted in P14 on the beginning grid.
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However the fantastic thing about F1 is that fortunes can change immediately, as they did for Haas on Sunday. Not solely did Ocon discover his approach into the factors, benefiting from a Security Automobile to realize place on the monitor to complete eighth, however Bearman delivered a masterful restoration drive, choosing up ten locations to complete tenth, capturing the ultimate level accessible on the Bahrain Grand Prix.
That gave the crew their second double-points results of the season — yet one more than Pink Bull for these taking notes — and vaulted Haas into fifth within the Constructors’ Championship standings.
Now they head to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, hoping to maintain the momentum going.
“Jeddah gives the distinctive problem of a high-speed road circuit with little margin for driving error,” stated Workforce Principal Ayao Komatsu within the crew’s media preview. “We shall be sometimes operating decrease drag settings in comparison with the circuits we’ve been to to this point this 12 months, so how we stabilize the automobile and get the tires to work with such a low drag configuration shall be key.
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“That is additionally the primary circuit we go to this 12 months the place Ollie has earlier Method 1 race expertise. It’s troublesome to foretell precisely how the VF-25 will carry out in Jeddah, however we’ve been getting most out of it in latest races.
“We’re trying to carry over this momentum and end the primary triple-header of the season – which may be very demanding for everybody each on the monitor and at our factories – on a excessive.”
As famous by Komatsu, Jeddah is without doubt one of the few circuits the place the crew’s rookie has F1 racing expertise. Bearman made his F1 debut on the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, stepping in for Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. who was recovering from an emergency appendectomy. Regardless of having only one follow session within the SF-24 earlier than qualifying, Bearman simply missed out on Q3 in his debut, qualifying eleventh.
He completed seventh in his first F1 race, holding off Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris down the stretch regardless of the 2 veteran drivers having brisker tires.
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“I’m very excited to return to Jeddah, it’s the primary repeat race of my profession which is fairly cool. Having had the expertise of final 12 months was very good and useful and was a spotlight of my life to this point, having my debut with Ferrari, that monitor will at all times maintain a particular place in my coronary heart,” stated Bearman.
“Even earlier than my Method 1 debut, I actually loved driving round Jeddah due to its high-speed nature, and the joys of driving at such speeds between the partitions so I’m wanting ahead to returning and now having a full race weekend below my belt, not simply, FP3, quali, and the race – it must be one.”
As for Ocon, the skilled driver is wanting ahead to returning to an “thrilling” circuit alongside the Pink Sea.
“Jeddah is an thrilling circuit. I feel this monitor is one which’s actually demanding on the driving force; it’s so quick and there’s a lot grip, it’s essential to get so near the wall and that’s how a lot time there’s to realize – the nearer to the wall, you’re going to be gaining over a lap,” stated Ocon. “It’s the kind of weekend a driver actually enjoys, and you are feeling the potential from a Method 1 automobile.
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“It’s going to be extraordinarily sizzling there, this 12 months we get there a lot later than earlier than – it’s going to be round 40 levels – so it’s going to be a problem for all of us and we should be prepared for the warmth. Total, I look ahead to racing in Saudi.”
Haas at the moment has 20 factors on the season, yet one more than Williams as the primary triple-header of the F1 season attracts to a detailed in Saudi Arabia.
