Dutch Grand Prix: Ollie Bearman Secures Career-Best Sixth for Haas Amid Challenges
Ollie Bearman achieved a career-best sixth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, demonstrating resilience despite starting from the pit lane due to an engine change. His teammate, Esteban Ocon, finished just inside the points in 10th, contributing to a commendable outcome for Haas.
Bearman, who qualified 19th, faced a challenging race but capitalized on a late Safety Car, allowing him to switch to fresh tires. “A long time coming for sure,” Bearman acknowledged. “Definitely lucky, but if you start from the pit lane you need a bit of luck to get up there.”
The 53-lap stint on hard tires presented significant difficulties, especially with tire temperature retention following multiple Safety Car periods. Bearman noted, “The most difficult thing was restarting those tires… I was really holding on for dear life at the end.” He highlighted the challenge of overtaking on the narrow circuit and stressed the importance of staying within the DRS zone of competitors to maintain pace.
Reflecting on the weekend’s performance, Bearman urged for a comprehensive understanding of the team’s issues, particularly their struggles during qualifying and practice. He stated, “We have a bit of an understanding why we were so slow at the end of quali… As a team, we need some more rallying together and more hard work.”
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu expressed frustration with the qualifying results but praised the team’s ability to adapt during the race. “I’m really proud of the team effort… from starting P18 and in the pit lane, the chances were against us, but you can never give up,” he said. He emphasized the need for solid fundamentals and commended both drivers for their teamwork. Komatsu noted, “This should be the benchmark; this is what we can do, so let’s do it again.”
Haas will need to build on this momentum as they look to address underlying performance issues in the upcoming races.
