Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman endured a chaotic and incident-filled F1 British GP, and they discussed their collision on Belgian GP media day. It saw both Haas drivers battle through changing conditions and multiple on-track clashes.
Ocon was caught up in an early collision with Liam Lawson, triggering a Virtual Safety Car, but he managed to continue despite the incident. He later lost positions after staying on heavily worn intermediate tyres as they decided to gamble before the heavy rain arrived.
His race took another hit when he and teammate Bearman spun in unison after a close call after switching to slicks. With the Brit on warmer tyres, he tried to pass into Brooklands but ended up on the wet patch and went into his teammate.
Bearman, already reeling from a spin caused by contact with Yuki Tsunoda—who received a penalty—fought hard to recover. He ultimately finished just outside the points in P11. Ocon, nursing damage, was P13 in a race defined by shifting strategies and survival.
Bearman wants the British GP incident with Ocon to “never happen again”
Bearman reflected on the late-race contact with teammate Ocon during the British GP in his F1 Belgian GP print media session. Describing it as “an unfortunate one with the wet track.”
He explained that the slippery conditions and limited grip left “kind of one racing line”, and the way their Haas cars came together on track made contact difficult to avoid.
“In any other scenario it would have been no problem,” Bearman noted, acknowledging the tricky nature of the drying circuit.
Despite the clash, he stressed that “there’s no hard feelings” between the two. Confirming that the team had “put things in place so it never happens again.”
The incident with Ocon capped off a frustrating British GP for Bearman, who had already spun earlier after being clipped by Yuki Tsunoda. He recovered to finish just outside the points in P11, showing grit and maturity in a race shaped by changing weather, strategy gambles, and tight margins.
“Yeah of course, there’s no hard feelings, it was an unfortunate one with the wet track I think in any other scenario it would have been no problem but with kind of one racing line and the way it worked out how we were on track it resulted in contact of course we don’t want that between teammates, but we put things in place so it never happens again.”
Ocon and Bearman “should not have been in that position” during the F1 British GP
Ocon also addressed the contact with teammate Bearman at the British GP in his own F1 Belgian GP media session.
Echoing the calm and constructive tone from within the Haas garage.
“Yeah, yeah, we were very calm,” Ocon said.
Noting that discussions with team leadership and Bearman were “very straightforward, very clear.”
He admitted that both drivers had “a difficult race at different stages” and stressed that they “should not have been in that position at first.
“Yeah, yeah, we were very calm. We discussed with Iao and Ollie as well. And, you know, everything is OK. We know that we should not be in these positions. We had both a difficult race at different stages of the race and of the weekend. We should not have been in that position at first.“
Ocon believed that without the incident, both cars would likely have finished in the points. They were ahead of Alonso and Russell before that contact.
He emphasized that Haas “can’t waste these kinds of opportunities”, especially in such a tight midfield fight. Reassuringly, he spoke of “a very good atmosphere in this team.” Making it clear that they “are all working together towards the same goal.”
For Ocon, that collective mindset is “the most important thing”.
“And it was tricky conditions as well. Probably, if we didn’t have that touch, we would have both scored points in that race. So, yeah, we realised it. We can’t waste these kinds of opportunities. And, yeah, it was very straightforward, very clear discussion.There is a very good atmosphere in this team. So, there is no hiding. And, yeah, we are all working together towards the same goal. So, it’s the most important thing.”
