Oliver Bearman insists Haas must accelerate its development pace after an unremarkable 14th place at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Performance gap widens
After scoring points in Australia and China, the British driver has added only one more since Canada, dropping to 11th in the standings while Haas sits 7th with 23 points behind Racing Bulls.
Upgrade race left behind
Bearman noted rivals are buying and proving upgrades far faster; he said “they’ve made a big step forward and we haven’t.” The gap is apparent on any circuit, from Monaco to the Hockenheimring.
Key technical battles
At the Austrian circuit the VF‑26 struggled with traction at launch and consistently low rear downforce, leading to “nightmare” starts, high‑speed operation and corner exits that challenged tyre management.
Road ahead for Haas
The team has yet to run the newer Ferrari power unit that powered Scuderia at the same race, and Komatsu has pledged to raise the baseline with forthcoming upgrades.
As the season moves forward, Haas must bridge the development deficit if it hopes to keep pace with the midfield.
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