Oliver Bearman continued to demonstrate his steady progression in Formula 1 with a strong Qualifying performance that places him eighth on the grid for Sunday’s race at the 2025 F1 São Paulo GP. The Haas driver impressed early in the session, setting the third-fastest time in Q1 and following it up with second in Q2, before a slightly more challenging Q3 left him just outside the top seven. His performance was in stark contrast to teammate Esteban Ocon who exited the session in Q1 after qualifying P17. Despite feeling that more might have been possible, he viewed the overall result as a step forward for both himself and the team.
Analysing the Q3 drop-off
Reflecting on the final part of Qualifying, Bearman stressed that the difference between his earlier laps and those in Q3 was not the result of a major error or a poorly timed run. Rather, he attributed the small drop in performance to finer details that subtly affected the car’s behaviour at a critical stage.
“I don’t think it was down to that. That’s always small things,” he explained when asked if timing had played a role in his slip down the order. He added that the strong rhythm and confidence he had built up through the opening phases of qualifying seemed to diminish slightly when it mattered most.
“For me, the main difficulty was that I had a great feeling throughout Q1 and Q2, and it just wasn’t quite there in Q3.”
Tyre management and track conditions
The Haas driver went on to suggest that the characteristics of the soft tyres may have been a significant factor, observing that several others on the grid experienced similar difficulties. He pointed to tyre temperature — and in particular, the effect of faster out-laps — as a possible explanation for the change in balance and grip.
“I saw a lot of people struggling and out of position on that soft tyre. It seemed to be a difficult tyre today. Maybe we were too hot with it in Q3 [because] I was doing slightly faster out laps,” he said. “Because honestly, the two laps I did in Q3, I was incredibly happy with and I crossed the line very happy, but I see two-tenths slower in my delta compared to what I managed in Q2. So it was really strange.”
This inconsistency between the positive feeling behind the wheel and the slower lap time left Bearman somewhat perplexed. Even so, he drew confidence from the strong pace shown earlier in the session and the overall competitiveness of the car.
Surpassing pre-session expectations
Bearman’s standout performance in Qualifying came as a surprise to both the driver and the Haas team. Heading into Qualifying at the 2025 São Paulo GP, expectations were modest, with internal projections suggesting that simply advancing into Q2 would represent a solid result. However, Bearman’s pace quickly exceeded those forecasts as he delivered a remarkable display, running inside the top three in both Q1 and Q2 before ultimately securing a place in Q3.
“No, actually our prediction was just to scrape through into Q2. So to be where we are is a great result,” he admitted, when asked if he had anticipated such a strong Saturday afternoon. “I think as much as we had great performance at the start of Quali, I’m still happy with P8. I think the important thing would be to understand why it worked so well in Q1 and Q2 and what we missed in Q3.”
Navigating tyre management challenges
When asked to elaborate on the factors behind his slight drop in performance during Q3, Bearman acknowledged that tyre condition may have played a significant role. As he explained, effective tyre temperature management appeared to be the decisive factor in the final session — a common challenge in Qualifying, particularly on circuits where grip levels evolve quickly and the soft compound is prone to overheating.
“Could be. I mean, it could be too hot,” Bearman noted when questioned on whether a lack of grip or excessive tyre temperatures had influenced his final runs in Qualifying at the 2025 F1 São Paulo GP. “I think that’s the thing that is pointing out for me right now because I had a few occasions in Turn 1 where I didn’t feel my tyres were quite ready. So I was trying to do faster outlaps and Q3 were my hottest outlaps I would say. So maybe that was working against me a little bit.”
In essence, while Bearman was attempting to generate the ideal temperature window to maximise grip, he may have inadvertently overheated the tyres, compromising performance when it mattered most.
Gaining confidence in the car’s pace
Looking beyond the Q3 frustration, Bearman remained positive about the overall competitiveness of the Haas package at the 2025 F1 São Paulo GP. He pointed out that the car felt much stronger than in the previous round in Mexico, where the team had struggled for grip and balance.
“Even in Quali last week [in Mexico] we were still a long way off. I think we were a second off at the end,” he said. “To have the performance we did today, the car was working so well in high speed. I had an incredible amount of confidence with the car, and even in low speed, it was working very well. So it’s a great job.”
That improvement, he suggested, gave him confidence heading into the race. “The car is feeling really good underneath me, and now I’m really looking forward to the race.”
A comment on the Sprint Race incident
In addition to his Qualifying reflections, Bearman briefly addressed the incident from the Sprint Race involving Liam Lawson, for which he received a five-second penalty and a penalty point for “potentially dangerous driving.” When asked whether his view of the situation had changed after reviewing it, his response was succinct: “I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.”
