Esteban Ocon, the Haas F1 Team driver, candidly admitted that the team encountered significant challenges during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Despite high hopes following a strong start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, Haas struggled to find competitive pace, resulting in a disappointing performance with Ocon finishing 14th and teammate Ollie Bearman in 13th.
Ocon, who qualified a lowly 19th after a difficult Q1 exit, highlighted the team’s lack of pace as a primary issue. “Here we struggled basically,” Ocon explained post-race. “We tried something on strategy, we positioned ourselves quite into the points quite clearly, and if something would have happened, we would have consolidated that position. But unfortunately, that wasn’t enough today, we just struggled with quite a few things.” His comments reflect a frustrating weekend where the team’s aggressive strategy, including early pit stops, failed to yield the desired results due to the car’s fundamental pace deficit.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix marked a stark contrast to Haas’ earlier performances in the 2025 season. The team had secured double-points finishes in Bahrain and China, propelling them to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 20 points. However, the high-speed Jeddah circuit exposed weaknesses in the Haas VF-25, particularly in terms of balance and consistency. Ocon noted ongoing issues with the car’s performance, stating, “We’ve struggled the whole way through this weekend, unfortunately.”
Team principal Ayao Komatsu had previously warned that the Jeddah circuit posed a “unique challenge” due to its high-speed corners and demanding layout. Practice sessions on Friday already hinted at trouble, with Ocon posting the 19th-fastest time in both FP1 and FP2, while Bearman also struggled with balance and confidence, particularly in the fast corners. Komatsu acknowledged that the car lacked consistency and predictability, issues that were also evident in earlier races like Melbourne but less pronounced in Bahrain.
Bearman, the rookie who made his F1 debut at Jeddah in 2024 with Ferrari, echoed Ocon’s sentiments, noting difficulties with tire management and overtaking. “I was struggling a fair bit in that first stint with the balance, so yeah, I wasn’t able to do much today out there,” Bearman said. Despite the challenges, he remained optimistic, highlighting positives from the first triple-header of the season.
Ocon also pointed to the extreme conditions in Jeddah, with temperatures around 40°C due to the race’s later scheduling this year, as an additional factor. “It’s going to be a challenge for all of us, and we need to be ready for the heat,” he had said before the weekend. However, the team’s struggles appeared to stem more from car setup and aerodynamic issues than environmental factors.
Despite the setback, Ocon expressed confidence in Haas’ ability to rebound. “I’m sure we’ll get on top of the issues we’re facing and get more consistency in terms of performance for the future,” he said. The team’s strong recovery from a disastrous Australian Grand Prix earlier in the season, where they bounced back with double points in China, offers hope that they can address these challenges before the next race.