Haas driver Ollie Bearman has expressed relief that a challenging three-race stretch of the Formula 1 season has concluded. Following a 17th-place finish at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last Sunday, the rookie admitted he is looking forward to returning home to reset after a series of difficult events.
A frustrating weekend in Brazil
Despite a strong performance in wet qualifying that placed him in the top 10, Bearman’s race in Brazil was hampered by early contact with Fernando Alonso. While he managed to recover some positions, his momentum was ultimately halted by slow pit stops.
“I had a bit of a moment at the start but nothing major, I lost a few places at the start but managed to gain back a few again, so was net zero,” Bearman explained. “After that I just had some very slow pit stops and I couldn’t fight with that.”
The pit issues dropped him from 10th to 17th, a significant setback on a day where the unpredictable weather created opportunities for points. While his teammate Nico Hulkenberg managed to secure 10th place despite a time penalty, Bearman was unable to recover. Reflecting on the recent run of races, he stated, “I just want to go home and reset. It has been a horrible three weeks, we have missed two opportunities to score points, and we just need to move on and do better.”
Previous setbacks in Austin and Mexico City
The recent triple-header proved difficult for the Haas driver from the start. In Austin, Bearman was forced to retire following a collision with Pierre Gasly. The incident resulted in a 10-second time penalty and significant car damage.
At the time, Bearman described the incident as a racing collision, noting, “I sent one up the inside, and to be honest, he saw me as he left space but to me, it didn’t feel enough. He gave space, but only half a car’s worth, and I was committed, so we made a bit of contact – I picked up a huge amount of damage on my car, and I probably damaged his car as well.”
The situation did not improve in Mexico City, where Bearman was forced to retire again after being hit from behind by his own teammate, Hulkenberg. “I just got smashed off. I was turning into Turn 4, and the next thing I knew, I was looking at everyone else coming past me, facing the wrong way,” he recalled. “It was a good race to be honest, I had great pace, and we were in the fight for points, and I was in the points when I was taken out. It happens, it just sucks.”
Haas has collected only one point over the last three races, while their rivals have narrowed the gap in the standings. With three rounds remaining in the season, Haas holds a three-point lead in the battle for seventh place.
