Ollie Bearman has expressed significant frustration regarding the ongoing performance struggles of the Haas Formula 1 team. The British driver feels the team is operating ‘with our hands tied behind our backs’ as the 2026 season progresses. Haas has steadily fallen down the competitive order after a promising start to the year.
The American outfit began the 2026 campaign strongly, initially appearing as a genuine midfield contender. Haas scored points in five of the first six race weekends. Bearman secured a season-high fifth place in China and a seventh-place finish in Australia. The VF-26 car demonstrated a balanced chassis and aerodynamic platform early on.
However, the team’s performance has declined sharply since the Canadian Grand Prix. A major aerodynamic upgrade package introduced in Montreal did not deliver the anticipated performance gains. Haas has not scored any points since that event, marking a four-race drought by the Belgian Grand Prix.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed that while the new parts met downforce targets in the wind tunnel, fundamental chassis characteristics prevent the car from utilising this aerodynamic grip on track. The VF-26 suffers from a chronic lack of medium-to-high-speed rear downforce.
Bearman also pointed to a significant inconsistency between car parts, affecting both his and teammate Esteban Ocon’s experiences. He stated that ‘inconsistency between our parts has been quite high’ and that car balance can change unexpectedly overnight.
A primary factor in Haas’ development struggles is its budget. The team is widely understood to have the smallest budget on the grid. Haas is reportedly the only outfit not operating at the $215 million budget cap for the 2026 season.
Komatsu has openly stated that securing more funding to reach the budget cap is a top priority. This financial limitation significantly slows the team’s development rate and restricts the number of upgrades brought to the track.
Due to these constraints, Komatsu has implemented a ‘parallel process’. This strategy requires engineers to address the current VF-26’s fundamental flaws while simultaneously developing the 2027 car. Komatsu believes solving present issues is crucial for building long-term engineering capabilities.
Despite the team’s difficulties, Bearman’s individual performances have received praise. He maintains he is performing at a ‘really high level’ and has shown a clear improvement over the past year. Bearman has out-qualified Ocon in eight of the eleven races completed so far this season.
Recent race weekends have underscored Haas’ challenges. Bearman finished as the last classified driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix. At the Belgian Grand Prix, both Haas cars were involved in first-lap contact, leading to P14 and P17 finishes for Bearman and Ocon respectively.
