Esteban Ocon has conceded that he was concerned that Haas’ 2025 Formula 1 season would be a “lost cause” after the team endured a disastrous start in Australia.
Haas headed into the opening race in Melbourne having undergone a seamless pre-season where mileage and long-run data took precedence over outright lap times.
However, the Kannapolis-based squad was soon dealt a tremendous blow as the Albert Park Circuit laid bare a glaring limitation with the VF-25 in high-speed corners.
With no short-term solution to the unexpected issue, Ocon and team-mate Oliver Bearman were eliminated in Q1, a worrying six-tenths behind the cut-off point for Q2.
However, Haas rebounded with both drivers amassing points at the second race in China, which preceded a revised floor being accelerated to the next event in Japan.
With more updates arriving at Imola and Silverstone, Haas has steadied the ship to be engaged in a close midfield battle, where 17 points cover sixth through to ninth.
Ocon has commended the team’s response to that initial setback, as he recalled how he departed the season-opener fearing that Haas would be resigned to the back.
Asked to summarise how his debut campaign with Haas has gone, Ocon told media including Motorsport Week: “Going in the good direction, I would say.
“It hasn’t been smooth the whole time, but we were able to get some weekends where we thought, OK, that was a really strong one.
“There was nothing we could have done better and there was a lot of learning.
“We started, clearly, as the last car in Australia, and we fought back in a magnificent way.
“The team was able to react to certain situations in a way that I felt [that] it was a lost cause, and that wasn’t the case.
“It’s been great to see how much pride the team takes when we do certain results, and I’m really proud of everyone in the way we’ve been able to deliver and improve.
“We set ourselves in a good position now where it’s a tight midfield, and we need to deliver every time we are out there, and that will make the difference at the end of the year.”
How Haas avoided ‘catastrophic’ problem
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu believes the team’s approach to overcoming the problem – which he likened to a “bomb” – is a testament to the culture that’s been produced.
“After Imola, we knew we [were] on top of that Melbourne issue, so then we could do a normal upgrade for Silverstone, which was pretty good, I would say,” he said.
“I think especially considering who we are, I think we proved again, like last year, I think our development was excellent.
“And then with the VF-25, now with the Silverstone upgrade, we’ve got a car we can fight in the top 10 with if we execute every single time.
“I think every weekend, we’ve got to take it one step at a time, just do the best job possible.
“I think I said this bit many, many races ago: if that had happened 12 months earlier, I think that would have been catastrophic.
“But throughout the last year, we built a foundation of trust, supporting each other, working together, so we could deal with that situation. I couldn’t be happier with the reaction I got.”
READ MORE – Esteban Ocon: Haas 2025 results have aligned with promises prior to F1 move
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