Haas looked capable of making a major step forward after collecting 79 points in 2025. Bearman opened the 2026 campaign with P7 in Australia, before producing an even stronger performance in China.
Key Highlights
- Ollie Bearman’s P5 in China remains Haas’ best result of the 2026 season.
- Bearman leads Ocon 8-3 in qualifying and 7-4 in race head-to-heads.
- Haas have failed to score in their last five rounds after a promising start.
- Development issues and unpredictable upgrades leave Haas needing a major reset after the summer break.
Haas’ Promising Start Quickly Fades
The Briton scored in the Sprint, reached Q3 and converted P10 into an impressive P5, raising hopes that Haas could challenge to become the best of the midfield. However, that momentum quickly disappeared. Since the opening rounds, the team has struggled with inconsistent performance, ineffective upgrades and a lack of rear downforce.
Bearman Holds Clear Advantage Over Ocon
Bearman has generally had the upper hand over experienced team mate Esteban Ocon throughout the season. In qualifying, Bearman leads 8-3, although neither driver has been able to consistently reach Q3 as Haas slipped behind rivals such as Racing Bulls and Alpine. Ocon has suffered five Q1 eliminations compared with three for Bearman.
The same trend continues on race day, with Bearman leading the head-to-head 7-4. He has collected 18 points, including 17 from the opening two rounds, while Ocon has three. Bearman has also defended Ocon's results, pointing to inconsistencies between the parts available to each driver and suggesting it has not always been a fair fight.
P5 in China Remains Haas’ High Point
Haas’ consecutive points finishes in Australia, China and Japan offered plenty of encouragement early in the campaign, but Bearman’s P5 in China stands clearly above the rest. The 21-year-old impressed with quick reactions, smart overtakes and strong pace, showing exactly what he could produce when Haas gave him a competitive car. Unfortunately, the team has been unable to reproduce that level of performance consistently.
Crashes and Reliability Add to Haas’ Problems
Haas have endured several difficult moments, including Bearman’s 50G crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, which caused extensive damage to the VF-26. Thankfully, the driver escaped injury. Bearman and Ocon also clashed during the opening laps in Monaco and Spa, while poor starts, deployment problems and unpredictable upgrades have added to their frustrations.
With Haas now scoreless across the last five rounds, the early-season optimism has been replaced by serious questions over the car’s development direction.
Can Haas Recover After the Summer Break?
Haas currently sit seventh in the constructors’ standings, but their position does not fully reflect their recent competitiveness. They are 40 points behind Alpine in sixth, while Audi and Williams are much closer behind. The biggest concern is development. Rivals have introduced effective upgrades, while Haas have struggled to extract consistent gains from their own packages.
The summer break therefore provides an important opportunity for Ayao Komatsu and his team to reset, reassess their direction and find enough performance to put Bearman and Ocon back into regular points contention. For Haas, the goal is clear: stop the slide, unlock the VF-26’s potential and get their 2026 season back on track.
