Haas Racing delivered an incredible showing of superiority at Spa-Francorchamps, remarkable for the double entry into Sprint Qualifying 3 (SQ3) with drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman leading the way.
With the spotlight firmly on Ferrari and the new rear suspension, it was Haas who took the honors of the day at Spa Sprint Qualifying in what displayed another remarkable showing of prowess. Both Ocon and Bearman showed tremendous resilience, accuracy, and timing to take advantage of the track evolution in SQ2 and qualify in the top-10 grid.
Far from being a satisfied American team celebrating a strong performance, the positive trajectory grew within the final phase of qualifying. Ocon would run at 1:41.565 to land P5, and Bearman would enjoy his best result of the season starting P6.
“I’m really happy it was fantastic,” Ocon replied. “I want to congratulate the team: we had two weeks to investigate what happened at Silverstone because it was quite difficult to drive the car all weekend even if we did follow in the right direction to update it. We transformed the car and now the feeling in it was great. It is also fantastic to have both cars in SQ3 for the first time this year.”
“I had a good feeling from the free practice sessions,” said Bearman. “I didn’t put the lap together on the softs, but I knew we had pace in the car. I’m very happy for everyone because it was a really good team effort to see both cars go through to SQ3. Esteban did a great job today. We brought a new update to Silverstone, we made SQ3 there, and here it seems we have found a good rhythm — let’s keep the momentum!”
The team performance of Haas Racing at Spa-Francorchamps sets up an exciting main race with both drivers poised for a battle on the legendary circuit. Buckle in for what promises to be a grand Prix weekend!