Bearman admits losing ‘all level of confidence’ in Haas’ car

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Oliver Bearman left the Hungarian Grand Prix with a bleak assessment of Haas’ form, admitting he “lost all level of confidence in the car” during a weekend that exposed just how far the American outfit has fallen since its encouraging start to the season.

The Hungaroring offered little respite for the team. Esteban Ocon qualified 15th, Bearman 17th, and both slipped further backwards in the race, eventually finishing 16th and 19th.

For a team that scored regularly in the opening rounds, it was another painful reminder that the momentum has disappeared.

Bearman’s frustration was evident after a race in which he also received a five-second penalty for ignoring blue flags.

“It was certainly a very long day as we were probably anticipating. The lack of Qualifying pace was almost exacerbated in race trim. So much sliding and degradation,” he said.

“On top of that, I couldn't overtake so I got stuck and didn't have any pace anyways. We need to understand why Spa was so good and why this weekend has been so bad because the feeling has been completely the opposite. I lost all level of confidence in the car.”

Bearman’s confidence shattered

The contrast with Spa-Francorchamps, where Haas looked unexpectedly competitive, has left the team searching for answers. In Hungary, Bearman never found a rhythm.

“I haven't done a lap this weekend and felt good in the car. We think we understand why but we have to look long and hard through things over the summer break.”

Those comments underline the scale of the problem. Bearman was not describing a car that was merely lacking pace; he was describing one that gave him no confidence at all, a far more troubling sign for a rookie still building trust in his machinery.

Ocon calls for urgent improvement

Ocon struck a slightly calmer tone, but his message was equally pointed.

“We need to look at putting more performance on the car. We need to look at the next upgrades on the car and hope that they will make a difference,” he said.

“Obviously the team will be on it and there's a lot of positives to take away from this weekend on my side.”

“Quite happy that we managed to extract the maximum out of the car and we got the consistency from Friday to Saturday to Sunday. Now we obviously need more performance.”

Haas heads into the summer break without a points finish since Monaco Grand Prix in early June, and with upgrades expected later in the season carrying increasing importance.

After Hungary, the team’s immediate challenge is no longer chasing the midfield leaders; it is simply rediscovering a car its drivers can trust.

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Michael Delaney