With a total of zero points, Haas left the Miami GP disappointed. Oliver Bearman managed to break into the top eight during Saturday’s sprint, but saw his points evaporate after a late penalty in the shortened session. Haas is now resetting its focus on the upcoming race in Imola, where the team hopes to compete for valuable points on Sunday.
The race weekend in Miami was not one to write home about for the Haas team. Oliver Bearman lost power in his car in lap 28, preventing him from finishing the Sunday race. This came after the Brit had already lost all his points for the shortened session due to a time penalty after the sprint race. The Grand Prix in Florida did not go much better for Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman finished in twelfth place and was unable to score points throughout the rest of the weekend.
Haas hopes to redeem itself during the Emilia-Romagna GP. “After six races outside Europe, we are now heading to the first European race of the season in Imola,” team boss Ayao Komatsu begins in the preview. “It’s a unique circuit, and one of the old-fashioned circuits with a great character and so much history. The atmosphere is always special thanks to the passionate fans. We are determined to start this first race of the triple header with a strong performance to score points again.”
Familiar Territory
Oliver Bearman agrees with his team boss and is also looking forward to the Italian race. This is the first time the Brit will participate in the GP Emilia-Romagna as a Formula 1 driver. “Hopefully the weather will be good, but I’m very happy to be back at Imola.” Last year, Bearman, along with fellow rookies Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Isack Hadjar, raced in the Formula 2 race at the Italian circuit. Hadjar won the race.
Teammate Esteban Ocon is also familiar with the circuit. The Frenchman has been racing there since his karting days. “We know how passionate the Italian fans are, and we always feel that energy when we race here,” says the Frenchman. “The Imola circuit is very fast and fluid, and a real challenge for teams and drivers. It’s also a very technical circuit. We have therefore prepared well in the simulator, and hope that we can ultimately compete for points on Sunday.”
