Impressive drive from Bearman sees him reach Q3, as Ocon suffers a shock Q1 exit after a weekend of failed experiments.
Oliver Bearman pulled off one of the standout performances of Saturday’s qualifying session at Suzuka, securing a spot in Q3 and lining up 10th on the grid for Sunday’s race. The Haas driver was thrilled with his result and is hoping to capitalize on it during the Grand Prix.
“I made a small mistake on my final lap, which probably cost me a couple of spots, but it was so tight out there,” Bearman admitted. “Just making it into Q2 was already a relief—so getting into Q3 was a huge surprise. I’m super happy.”
Looking ahead to the race, the young Brit is staying realistic but optimistic. “I’m not sure what to expect tomorrow. We’ll have to see what the weather does—there could be some drama. But honestly, I’m just excited. This track is incredible to drive, and I’ve enjoyed every second. I’m sure tomorrow will be just as fun.”
The 18-year-old continues to impress with his growing confidence behind the wheel:
“I felt really at one with the car today—it responded to everything I did, and that’s always a great feeling. I had a lot of fun out there. If we manage things well, I think we can stay in the top 10. We weren’t too confident on the softs, but I believe we’ve got a solid race ahead of us.”
Meanwhile, it was a frustrating afternoon for Esteban Ocon, who failed to progress past Q1. The Alpine driver struggled with car setup following an experimental weekend filled with data gathering and testing new parts—including a new floor that hadn’t been thoroughly validated in the wind tunnel or simulation.
“This track is usually one that suits me well, but we tried so many things this weekend across both cars,” Ocon explained. “Different parts in every session—and something clearly didn’t work on my side. I was lacking performance in several areas of the track, and it was visibly obvious.”
Despite the tough session, Ocon acknowledged the positive step made on Bearman’s side:
“It’s disappointing for me, but encouraging to see that things came together for Ollie’s car. We need to dig into the data and figure out what went wrong on mine. It’s good that at least one car showed progress—we just need to make it happen on both.”
Ocon had hoped the team’s aggressive testing would pay off in qualifying, but the expected gains never materialized:
“There were so many variables this weekend, and while we expected a similar performance boost, it just didn’t happen for me.”
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Rookie Bearman Hits Q3 Glory, Ocon Left in the Dust
Rookie Bearman Hits Q3 Glory, Ocon Left in the Dust