Ocon under pressure as Bearman leads Haas charge

Overview

Formula 1. Esteban Ocon is under intense pressure at Haas as the team enters a lucrative late-season battle for sixth in the constructors’ standings. Rookie Oliver Bearman has contributed almost all of Haas’s points recently.

Performance and momentum

Over the last four grands prix, Haas have outscored their direct rivals. The team heads into the final three races with momentum after a major Austin upgrade paid off. The gap between sixth and ninth in the championship is estimated at around $27 million.

Drivers' contributions

Bearman has scored 22 of Haas’s last 24 points. Ocon’s results have included three Q1 eliminations in the same period, while Bearman has reached Q3 at the last four races. This disparity has increased scrutiny on balancing performance between the two drivers.

Team outlook

Team boss Ayao Komatsu commented on the challenge of getting both drivers to deliver. He noted that Ocon acknowledged not maximizing qualifying recently and stressed the need for both drivers to score. Haas believes a realistic chance exists to fight for sixth if both cars perform consistently, citing improvements to the VF-25 in slow corners and faster sections after the latest updates.

We’ve lost points at the end of the season for the last two years.

Key insights

Bearman has been the standout point scorer for Haas in recent races.
The VF-25 improvements appear to enhance performance across different corner types.
The financial stakes for finishing sixth are substantial, motivating both drivers to perform.

Author’s summary

Bearman drives Haas’s late-season surge while Ocon faces mounting pressure to deliver, with team upgrades and strategic focus shaping a potential sixth-place finish.

Nextgen-Auto.com — 2025-11-21