Haas narrowly misses Q3 as Bearman and Ocon target Singapore points
Both drivers express frustration after qualifying, but remain optimistic about their chances in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Haas narrowly missed out on reaching Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix, with Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon both progressing through Q1 before falling short of the final qualifying segment. Despite their disappointment, both drivers believe points remain achievable on Sunday.
The American team demonstrated encouraging competitiveness at Marina Bay, particularly following Bearman’s sixth-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint.
However, difficulties with tyre preparation, traffic and a lack of grip prevented Haas from maximising its potential during Grand Prix qualifying.
With George Russell receiving a power unit penalty, Bearman will move from 12th to 11th on the starting grid, while Ocon will be promoted to 12th.
Bearman encouraged by improved Haas performance
Bearman was pleased with the progress Haas had made compared with Friday, although he admitted that his Q2 performance had been compromised by several factors.
« We were very close. We’re more competitive than yesterday, so I’m happy, but a little disappointed because Q2 wasn’t as clean as Q1, » Bearman explained.
The British driver revealed that spending too much time in the garage after Q1 affected his tyre preparation.
« I spent a lot of time in the garage after Q1, and the tyres weren’t ready. »
« I was going into the second run a little blind, and that cost us time. Then I encountered traffic in Sector 3. »
Although Bearman acknowledged that these issues probably did not account for the entire three-tenth deficit required to reach Q3, he was encouraged by the team’s ability to compete near the top ten.
« I don’t think all of that adds up to three tenths, but the fact that we’re fighting for Q3 is a good feeling. »
With his Sprint performance demonstrating Haas’ potential, Bearman remains optimistic about Sunday’s race.
« There will be opportunities tomorrow. It’s going to be a long race. »
Starting 11th, the British driver will be well positioned to capitalise on any incidents or strategic opportunities ahead.
Ocon frustrated by lack of grip and grid position
Esteban Ocon experienced a more difficult qualifying session, continuing to struggle with a lack of grip that has affected his performance throughout the Singapore weekend.
The Frenchman admitted that Haas had extracted almost everything possible from his car, but the available performance was insufficient to reach Q3.
Speaking to Canal+, Ocon also expressed frustration that Russell’s penalty would move him from 13th to 12th on the grid, placing him on the less favourable side of the circuit.
« It’s not great. Twelfth is on the wrong side of the grid. I was happy to start 13th! » Ocon said.
« We maximised the car’s potential. There wasn’t much more we could do. »
« Unfortunately, the car hasn’t been particularly competitive since the start of the weekend. »
Ocon explained that the handling difficulties were consistent with problems Haas had experienced at other stages of the season.
« We’ve seen this earlier in the season, and it’s happening again. I’m really lacking grip. »
The Frenchman also suggested that some of the developments available on Bearman’s car could have helped improve his own performance.
« There are things that would have helped us with Ollie’s upgrade, but we did the maximum with what we had. »
Despite pushing hard on his final qualifying attempt, Ocon was unable to find the additional performance needed to progress.
« I did the best lap I could. I tried to push on the final lap, but it wasn’t enough. The car was sliding too much. »
« It wasn’t enough for Q3. I’m now on the wrong side of the grid, but points are within reach. »
Ocon believes reliability could create opportunities
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Ocon believes the unpredictable nature of racing at Marina Bay could provide Haas with opportunities to move forward.
The Frenchman highlighted the importance of reliability, recalling a previous Singapore Grand Prix in which a mechanical failure cost him a strong result.
« Something can always happen here. We know reliability is important, » Ocon explained.
« A few years ago, I was running fifth and suffered a gearbox failure with 15 laps remaining. »
However, Ocon expressed confidence in Haas’ reliability and believes the team can take advantage of any opportunities that emerge.
« We’re strong on reliability, so we’ll see what we can do. »
Haas aims to convert promising pace into points
With Bearman starting 11th and Ocon 12th, Haas enters Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix with both drivers close to the points-paying positions.
Bearman’s sixth-place finish in the Sprint provided encouragement, while the team’s qualifying performance demonstrated that reaching Q3 was not far beyond its capabilities.
Although both drivers were left disappointed by aspects of their sessions, Haas will look to maximise its race execution, reliability and strategy around a circuit where overtaking remains particularly challenging.
For Bearman and Ocon, the objective is clear: turn a promising but imperfect Saturday into championship points on Sunday.
