Haas driver Ollie Bearman had a difficult race weekend during the 2026 British GP. While the British driver started the F1 season strong, the team appears to have taken a step backwards in terms of pace. A slow start and lap 1 incident with Williams driver Alex Albon meant Bearman was the only Briton who failed to score points at his home race.
Bearman spoke about his race difficulties in the print media pen following the 2026 British GP.
Haas struggling with race starts
Both Ollie Bearman and Haas teammate Esteban Ocon have struggled to score points in 2026. While Bearman started the F1 season with back-to-back points finishes, he has not scored points since the Canadian GP. Haas currently sit P7 in the World Constructors’ Championship.
The British driver stated that Haas have struggled to figure out their race starts, putting them on the back foot for the 2026 F1 British GP.
“No, I had no idea it was coming. To be honest, we had a very poor start, which has been the case for the last two Grand Prixes now.
“Yesterday, in the sprint, I had a good one. Today and in Austria, I’ve had two terrible, terrible starts. That put us really on the back foot. It’s something we don’t understand because we thought we understood why. After Austria, we had this bad start and now we’ve had a bad one again.
“So we’re really in a bad place with that. And I feel like this year when you get a bad one, it’s terrible — it really is bad. So then I’ve been on the back foot.“
When asked if his poor race starts may be related to the new engine he took in Austria, Bearman responded, “No, it’s [the engine is] very similar. And yesterday I had a good one [race start]. So it’s just a lack of understanding from our side and not Ferrari’s.”
Bearman on lap 1 incident with Albon at 2026 British GP
On lap 1 of the British GP, Alex Albon crashed into the side of Ollie Bearman, causing his to spin off-track. While Albon received a 10-second-penalty for causing a collision, Bearman’s race was compromised.
The British driver emphasised that his poor race start left him vulnerable to the incident, as he dropped back off the line.
“We had some contact with Alex [Albon] at [Turn 6]. To be honest, I was totally on the outside of the track. I didn’t see that there was anything else I could have done.
“I haven’t checked that [footage], but we shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. But with this lack of understanding of the torque and control, we’ve had some very poor starts.“
Comparing to F1 2025
Ollie Bearman impressed during his rookie season with Haas in 2025. He tied the team’s highest finish in F1 history, scoring a P4 finish at the 2025 Mexico City GP.
Bearman reflected on last year’s performance, feeling “hurt” by the team’s progress in 2026.
“Nothing different and it’s just so hard to be consistent with the starts at the moment. I’ve had 20 good starts throughout last year and now this year it feels like I’m just flipping a coin whether I get a good one or an absolutely awful one. So that hurts.
“And after that [lap 1 incident], to be honest, that was our race. We’re not quick enough to overtake, so we’ve just been a bit stuck.”
Bearman on racing at F1 British GP in 2026 – “It wasn’t special”
While racing at home is usually a special feeling, the young Haas driver didn’t hold that sentiment. Being the only Brit who failed to score points on soil, Ollie Bearman reflected on the race that could’ve been.
“It was okay. It wasn’t special like last year. Qualifying lost a bit of charm, but that’s the unfortunate reality with these new regs.
“We’re going to have to keep working to make it a bit better. I’m sure for some of the other cars they felt a bit nicer, but on my side, in [Qualifying], it was a big nightmare.”
Mentioning the new regulations, Bearman appeared pessimistic about the team’s ability to overtake on-track. While drivers may make an impressive overtake into the corners, they seem to be overtaken immediately on the straights.
Bearman agreed with this sentiment, replying, “That’s F1 2026, unfortunately. It’s a shame, but that’s the harsh reality right now.
“I’m sure we’ll get better as we understand these engines more, but we’ll always find this here. And in Spa next week it’s going to be a similar story. So, yeah, strap up for that one.”
