For Ollie Bearman and the Haas F1 Team the 2026 F1 Miami GP turned into a long, tough afternoon. Despite showing flashes of competitive speed throughout the weekend, the British driver finished just outside the points in P11. While this result helped to steady the team after a disappointing DNF at the previous round in Japan, it felt like a step back from the high-scoring form Bearman displayed earlier in the season.
Navigating the midfield after a tough start
Speaking in the print media pen, Ollie Bearman explained that the 2026 F1 Miami GP started with a difficult opening lap that forced him into defensive mode almost immediately. Starting from P12, he found himself having to avoid cars in turns two and three while fighting in the midfield as Max Verstappen had spun.
This evasive action cost him early rhythm, but he managed to briefly claim P10 before the race restart after a Safety Car period. This move momentarily put him back in the points and offered a glimpse of a potential top-ten finish. However, maintaining that position proved difficult and he soon found himself locked behind Carlos Sainz, and then Alex Albon who lacked the pace of his teammate.
”No, it was a tough day out there today. I felt a bit hard done by the start. I got a bit unlucky, let’s say, in Turn 2 and 3, avoiding cars.”
Bearman being stuck behind Albon at the 2026 F1 Miami GP
The strategic execution became the primary focus as Bearman was close to Albon’s Williams throughout. The team recognized that track position was the only way to secure a point, leading them to attempt an undercut. Unfortunately, the execution of the stop in the pit lane was not flawless. A slightly slow pit stop meant Williams could cover it and not get undercut.
The Haas driver explained that he was pushing flat out behind Albon for 25 laps to stay within range of the Williams, thinking he could have been able to make a move and overtake him.
However, without the advantage of clean air, his tyres weren’t able to hold on. By the end of the race, his grip levels had dropped significantly, ending up 10s behind the Thai.
This forced him to focus on simply bringing the car home in eleventh and believe that if they had managed to execute the undercut, he could have finished in the points.
”At one point I was really getting close and feeling like I was going to work towards a move. But then my tyres were not able to hold on and that was it really, holding on to P11.
”I think so. I think if I could have undercut him, then I would have stayed in front. Because I felt strong particularly in the middle part of the race. Then I was very weak at the end, but I think it was because I spent 25 laps pushing flat out behind him.
“And, you know, that’s not good for tyres. I believe if we managed to undercut, I could have finished P10. But we just didn’t quite execute a perfect stop sequence.
“Yeah, that’s all that happened in the race. Nothing more.”
