Haas Capitalizes on Strategy, Secures 5th Place in Championship Standings

The Bahrain Grand Prix offered a thrilling spectacle for fans, with high tire degradation providing ample opportunities for midfield teams to make their mark. Unfortunately, Haas found themselves starting from the backfoot after Esteban Ocon’s crash in Q2 relegated him to 14th on the grid, while rookie teammate Oliver Bearman struggled with front tire locking issues, leaving him at the rear of the pack.

Aggressive Strategy Pays Off for Haas

Determined to make something happen, Haas went on the offensive with their strategy. Ocon pitted as early as lap 8 for medium tires, allowing him to climb through the ranks and overtake drivers like Jack Doohan, Yuki Tsunoda, and even Max Verstappen, holding his own against the world champion as he struggled with pace on hard tires.

However, Ocon’s early pit stop meant he would face challenges later in the race, pitting again on lap 27 for hard rubber that he had to conserve until the end. A safety car period gave rivals an opportunity to pit and catch up, but Haas persevered, with team boss Ayao Komatsu admitting, “With Esteban, the issue was we were on the hard tire. That was going to be a difficult one, but we couldn’t pit under that safety car, no way. So, we just had to make it work.

Bearman Battles Through Adversity

In the other Haas car, Bearman experienced a promising start, moving up to 15th before also overtaking Fernando Alonso, who was on medium tires. However, he had to pit under the safety car on lap 32 and switched to soft tires for a bold final stint in which he passed Carlos Sainz’s struggling Williams and Jack Doohan to secure the final point.

The double points finish moved Haas up to fifth place in the championship with 20 points, leaving team boss Ayao Komatsu ecstatic. “It’s just a whole team effort,” he beamed. “Mainly, other than the safety car, which you cannot control, we put on the right tyres at the right time and then we undercut people. Everything was amazing.

Komatsu Praises Bearman’s Performance

Komatsu was particularly pleased for Bearman, who scored points for a third consecutive weekend after an uncharacteristically messy opening weekend in Australia. “Yeah, but that’s the Ollie we know,” he said. “That’s the Ollie I expected. He’s a great guy. It’s not just talent; it’s just the whole work ethic and everything. He’s such an amazing guy to be around.

Haas Still Faces Aerodynamic Challenges

Despite a tweaked floor for Japan, Komatsu cautioned that Haas still isn’t out of the woods yet with its car’s aerodynamic oscillations that cropped up in Melbourne and were less of a factor in Bahrain. “Yes and no,” he explained. “We didn’t see the fundamental aero issue here in pre-season testing. So far, Melbourne was the worst track by far. Then we improved the car for Suzuka and here we still had some issues, but we got this performance.

Komatsu remained optimistic, noting, “It was just amazing to be fighting against Mercedes and Red Bull. They’re championship winning teams. I’m still soaking it in.