Haas ended the qualifying session for the Australian Formula 1 GP, with Oliver Bearman in 12th and Esteban Ocon in 13th, leaving the team optimistic about the first race of the season and the car’s evolution under the new regulations.
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Bearman highlighted the team’s collective effort, even with the frustration of not advancing to Q3: “I’m a bit disappointed as the margins were very small, but overall, I have to say I’m very proud of the team and the collective effort that was made to get the car to where it is today. This confirms our impressions from Bahrain, that we have a solid foundation, which is positive. It’s tough and it hurts not to advance, but with the complexity of these new rules, we are really challenged. The work this team has done has been incredible, and the only way is forward,” he said.
Ocon also assessed the session as frustrating, but with learning potential: “It’s disappointing, I think we definitely had more to offer. When I got out of the car, the team informed me that there was a possible loss of rear downforce, which matches what I felt, as the car was very unstable on the last attempt. If we had improved that final lap, we probably would have managed to reach Q3. It’s a shame the position we are in, but we will analyze it and hope to come back stronger,” the French driver added.
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Ayao Komatsu, team principal, gave a positive assessment of the overall performance: “I think it was a consistent qualifying session. Maximize everything? No, but I expected a big operational challenge and we didn’t get everything right, but we operated at a decent level, so I’m satisfied. First and foremost, we wanted to ensure we got out of Q1 with both cars, which we achieved. I believe we had a chance to reach Q3, and it’s very good to be very close to the top of the midfield, which is where we want to be. Continued learning with every session, still trying to find the best combination between tire preparation and energy management, so there’s more to come. Considering it’s the first qualifying session of the year, it’s something we can build on moving forward. It’s a reasonable position for tomorrow’s race, so I’m looking forward to moving forward from here,” Komatsu concluded.
With this performance, Haas remains competitive in the midfield, ready to seek evolution and explore scoring opportunities in the opening race of the new season in Melbourne.
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