Haas Drivers Shine with Double Points in Belgian Grand Prix Sprint

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman of the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team celebrated a successful Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday, earning a total of six points. The drivers finished fifth and seventh respectively, converting their starting positions into strong results at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Ocon expressed his delight after the race, stating, “I’m super pleased with this. I think it’s six points for the team in total on a Saturday, so it’s a really good result.” The French driver acknowledged that the competitors ahead were faster but felt satisfied with his team’s performance. “We finished on top of our race basically, and overall it was fantastic,” he added.

Bearman echoed his teammate’s excitement, noting the challenges during the Sprint. “It was a good race,” he said. “Nice to score some points, both cars in the points in a Sprint race which is no mean feat.” He also mentioned the difficulty of overtaking due to their car’s setup, but he was optimistic about their performance.

This race marked the first time Haas scored points at Spa since 2018. Both drivers started the Sprint on used Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires, managing tire wear effectively to secure their positions. The results set a positive tone ahead of Sunday’s main event.

During Saturday’s qualifying session, Bearman outperformed Ocon, finishing P5 with a time of 1:41.617, while Ocon missed the top 10 shootout by just two hundredths of a second, securing P11. Ocon expressed slight frustration but remained hopeful, stating, “We need to maximize the potential there.”

The team’s principal, Ayao Komatsu, praised the performance in the Sprint but acknowledged the challenges faced in qualifying. “We lost out getting to Q3 by a tiny margin,” he lamented. With rain forecasted for Sunday, Komatsu emphasized the need for strategic decisions moving forward.

As the team looks ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix, Ocon and Bearman aim to replicate their successful Sprint results and secure more points for Haas.