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Oliver Bearman believes that Haas cannot extract any further performance from its 2026 Formula 1 car following the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas. The British driver showed promising pace during Friday practice before slipping down the order and qualifying in 16th place.
Finding an Early Set-Up Sweet Spot
According to Motorsport.com, Bearman explained that this drop in relative competitiveness happened because he found a nearly ideal car set-up as early as the first free practice session. As a result, his VF-26 lost ground while competing teams made improvements throughout the weekend.
Bearman stated that the team performed well to maximize the car right from the start, noting that the ride height was adjusted by just one millimeter across the entire weekend because the handling felt great from the first set of soft tires. He added that the balance felt good and the car handled nicely, but the team simply lacked sufficient downforce compared to their rivals.
Lack of Upgrades and Tire Degradation
Haas has been limited by a lack of major development packages, with its latest substantial upgrade having been introduced nearly two months prior at the Italian Grand Prix, aside from a Sepang-specific rear impact structure. Bearman noted that competitors brought significantly more upgrades over the weekend, making it unsurprising that rival teams outperformed them with faster machinery.
The lack of aerodynamic load causes the car to degrade its tires over the course of a lap, hurting qualifying performance. As reported by Motorsport.com, Bearman defended an aggressive move during the race by stating that trailing other cars would have only led to being overtaken by the Audis, emphasizing that the team requires a faster car.
When asked if there is any more potential to unlock from the VF-26, Bearman replied negatively, stating that the car has hit its ceiling. While he acknowledged that the car characteristics have improved compared to previous events and feel pleasant when driving alone, load and downforce remain missing.
Esteban Ocon Reports Braking Issues
Team-mate Esteban Ocon offered a different perspective on the comfort of the VF-26, voicing complaints about braking inconsistency following the race in Austin, as detailed by Motorsport.com.
Ocon explained that the problem emerges during qualifying when pushing the car to its limits, requiring him to brake 10 to 15 meters earlier while still experiencing heavy locking and understeer. Describing the feeling as unpredictable, Ocon noted that the team and engineers managed to minimize the issue slightly over the weekend, though the underlying problem persisted.
Ocon ultimately finished the United States Grand Prix in 14th position, finishing 34 seconds away from the points.
