Esteban Ocon has hailed Haas’ relentless drive and decisive action in transforming what looked like a bleak start into a highly promising 2025 campaign.
The French driver, who is in his first season with the American squad, has been thoroughly impressed by the speed, efficiency, and determination shown by Haas following a rocky opening round in Australia.
The team now sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 20 points, thanks to consistent performances over the last few rounds – including double points finishes in Bahrain and China.
According to Ocon, it’s no fluke. The turnaround, he says, is the result of an extraordinary work ethic and rapid response to adversity.
Having raced for Manor, Force India, and Renault/Alpine before joining Haas, Ocon has experienced a variety of team cultures and development strategies. But none, he says, compare to what he's seeing now in terms of sheer responsiveness.
“I'm not going to compare with teams but from where I'm sitting, I don't feel this team is small,” Ocon told reporters.
“This team is reacting quicker than I've ever felt before in terms of producing parts, in terms of producing solutions, coming up with data points.”
©Haas
Despite being a smaller operation in terms of headcount, Haas has, in Ocon’s words, more than made up for it with output.
“It’s great to see. Yes, we are a lot less [in terms of employees], but there is two times the work [being carried out] that has been done in the past.”
Such praise underscores the culture shift at Haas undertaken last season under new leadership and technical restructuring.
What looked like another challenging campaign in the making has turned into one of the most compelling underdog stories of the year so far.
Ocon didn’t mince words when reflecting on the tough start in Melbourne. Haas appeared off the pace, and critics were quick to write them off. But instead of spiraling, the team surged.
“I've never seen a team coming with a solution in two weeks in terms of just bringing a new update in reaction to what's going on from the beginning of the week of the year,” said Ocon.
That quick turnaround not only changed the team’s outlook but re-energized the entire operation.
“It's extremely satisfying to work with such a team that takes action quickly to fix things,” he continued.
“We can be proud, it was a big relief in China to see that we were able to fight. It was a massive shock for all of us to see that we were two and a half or three seconds lower than everyone else.
“A lot of people were saying, 'that's it for their year. They are going to be in the back the whole year. They haven't done a great job over the winter'.”
But the atmosphere within Haas told a different story – one of quiet confidence and belief in their potential.
“Nobody believed that here. We knew there was potential in the car. We just needed to unlock it.”
As the season rolls on, Haas’ transformation has become one of the standout narratives on the grid.
And with Esteban Ocon leading the charge and a team willing to move mountains in record time, their fight to stay in the midfield – or push beyond it – is only just beginning.
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