Haas F1 targets Shanghai revival after Melbourne misery

Haas seeks turnaround after challenging season opener: eyes on Shanghai!

18/03/2025

After a dreadful season opener in Melbourne, Haas F1 heads to Shanghai’s Sprint weekend determined to bounce back and restore team pride.

Following a disastrous start in Australia, Haas F1 is aiming for a rebound this weekend in Shanghai, hosting the season’s first Sprint event. In Melbourne, the American team lacked pace, finishing at the back of the field. Esteban Ocon endured his race, while his young teammate Oliver Bearman crashed twice in free practice, turning his weekend into a nightmare.

Komatsu backs Ocon strength, expects Bearman comeback

Ayao Komatsu, Haas’s team principal, remains cautious yet determined:

“Melbourne was very tough, but Shanghai provides an immediate opportunity to make adjustments. The Chinese circuit is entirely different, with many slow corners and a long straight. We need to apply our learnings quickly and fine-tune our car to become competitive this weekend.”

The team boss particularly counts on Esteban Ocon, who delivered a solid race despite difficulties in Australia, and hopes Oliver Bearman will finally demonstrate his true potential.

“I have great faith in Esteban, who showed strong character despite adversity, and I’m confident Ollie will now show what he’s truly capable of.”

Bearman faces Shanghai Sprint pressure; Ocon optimistic

For Bearman, there is now little room for error: Shanghai’s Sprint format will give him very limited track time to find his rhythm, yet he remains enthusiastic:

“I’m really looking forward to racing in China! I visited last year as a reserve driver, and the track impressed me. This time I’ll be behind the wheel, and although it will be challenging with limited track time, I’m ready for it. The city is amazing, huge, and the fans have been very welcoming.”

As for Esteban Ocon, having moved past his disappointment in Australia, he now focuses on the technical demands of the Shanghai circuit:

“Shanghai is more challenging than it appears, especially turn one, which is fast and demanding for the driver. It’s great to have F1 back here after several years away. With the Sprint format, we’ll need to be efficient from the first laps. Personally, I enjoy it: two races to score points means double the pleasure and opportunities.”

This weekend in China will be crucial for Haas: either start fresh or face another setback. The answer awaits in Shanghai!

Sprint showdown: Haas seeks redemption at Chinese GP

Haas F1 targets Shanghai revival after Melbourne misery Haas F1 targets Shanghai revival after Melbourne misery

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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