Esteban Ocon has explained why the beginning of the European leg of the Formula 1 season is a “critical” moment for the whole of the Haas team.
The American squad has begun to falter after a bright start to the new campaign, with its pre-season status as serious challengers in the midfield starting to lose momentum.
A bright start in Barcelona’s shakedown week and testing in Bahrain saw the team look very much up to its early billing.
But with teams getting to grips with their respective challengers amid the chaos brought by the sport’s new technical regulations, Haas has started to slightly fall behind its main initial competitors – and Ocon’s former team – Alpine.
“We started with a very, very strong car compared to everyone [in the midfield],” Ocon told Motorsport Week in an exclusive interview ahead of the recent Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
“I think we had such a very good winter testing, where we managed to find a lot of performance out of the current car we had, which is something I’ve never seen before – unlocking performance that much over not bringing new parts, let’s say.
“We really made a step forward in testing from Fiorano, Barcelona and Bahrain. We had no issues, we continued running the whole time. The car has been incredibly reliable, which has been awesome.”
‘The first real test’
However, Ocon acknowledged that with teams now beginning to bring through a myriad of upgrades to their cars as the European season begins, Haas – as well as himself and teammate Ollie Bearman – will need to show their best to ensure continuity of performance from the car.
“But now, I feel that this race, since we’ve brought the package, is going to be the first real test of how the car is actually feeling on a normal track,” he said.
“It’s very critical for us, me and Ollie. We are going to need to exactly give the right feedback for the future development of the car, because now it’s the time where you could shift something great or something terrible for the rest of the year.
“So we need to definitely give the right feedback to the team, for them to take a direction later in the year.”
Barcelona was not Haas’ best weekend, with both drivers finishing outside the points. But this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix provides an opportunity to rectify that dip.
With use of Ferrari engines, the team stands to gain from the Scuderia’s qualification for the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities [ADUO] scheme, handing a boost as the season reaches its summer break.
READ MORE – Esteban Ocon reveals crucial Haas role amid fresh rumours on F1 future
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