Formula 1’s 2026 season has been a puzzle for many teams, but Haas has faced a unique challenge that goes beyond the usual development battles. While Ollie Bearman’s 18-3 points advantage over teammate Esteban Ocon looks like a one-sided demolition, the reality is far more complex. The team has been grappling with a persistent parts inconsistency that has left both drivers at the mercy of a lottery, undermining the fairness of their intra-team fight.
The Numbers That Lie
On paper, Bearman has been the clear star: 11-4 in qualifying head-to-head, 9-3 in races, and a points tally that suggests total supremacy. But Bearman himself has been quick to downplay the significance, calling it “not always a fair fight.” The culprit? A frustrating inconsistency in the performance of parts supplied to each car, a problem that has plagued Haas all season.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu has been open about the issue, admitting that “certain things we identified, we solved, but we still have issues.” The problem has forced Haas to swap parts between cars, sometimes even between practice sessions, in a desperate attempt to give both drivers a workable machine.
Ocon’s Struggles and Frustrations
Ocon has been the more vocal of the two, describing the first half of the season as “probably the most difficult first half of the season that I’ve ever had.” He has faced a car that changes character from one weekend to the next, leaving him unable to build confidence. “Too many difficulties, too many issues, too many things that prevented us from performing,” he said in Hungary.
The Frenchman’s frustration reached a peak when he felt he had only enjoyed “normal car performance” at two races all year. Yet, when the car is right, Ocon shows his worth. In Hungary, after a switch to a different floor and rear wing, plus a lighter steering rack he had long requested, he outqualified Bearman and finished as the lead Haas for only the second time this season.
“We had the consistency back,” Ocon enthused. “The car was healthy all weekend. We managed to keep the same performance from Friday to Saturday to Sunday.”
Bearman’s Own Bad Weekends
Bearman has also suffered, as he did in Hungary, where he called it “a horrible, horrible weekend.” He explained the team’s plight: “If it’s not me, it’s Esteban’s car that is suddenly missing 10-15 points of load. You’re kind of just hoping you’re going to be on the good side.”
His comments before the Hungarian GP were telling: “It’s not always a fair fight, the one that we are having, and sometimes we feel like we’re fighting with our hands almost tied behind our backs.” Despite the caveats, Bearman remains confident in his own performance, noting a clear step forward from last year. “I feel like I’m performing at a really high level,” he said.
The Context Komatsu Sees
Komatsu understands that the raw statistics are misleading. He points to Shanghai, where Bearman benefited from a well-timed safety car to finish fifth, while Ocon was caught up in a collision and ended 14th. That single race accounts for a significant chunk of the points gap.
“It’s very difficult from outside to see the gap between team-mates,” Komatsu said. He highlighted how Ocon’s feel for the car is a reliable indicator: when Ocon says he’s happy, he’s close to Bearman; when he’s not, he’s nowhere. “He’s obviously got a good feel to the car,” Komatsu added, noting that the team still doesn’t fully understand why the car’s stability disappears without any apparent changes.
This unpredictability has made it nearly impossible to assess driver performance accurately. “It’s very, very difficult to get the true picture,” Komatsu admitted.
Implications for the Future
The parts issue has also complicated Haas’s driver decisions. Ocon’s seat is the subject of intense speculation, and his future may hinge on how well he can perform under these trying conditions. Komatsu, however, is confident in his own judgment: “At least I know exactly what’s happening. I can put everything into context.”
Bearman has been the stronger driver overall, spending 64% of racing laps ahead of Ocon, a significant improvement from last year’s near 50-50 split. But the Hungarian weekend showed that Ocon can still deliver when given a car that behaves.
As the season progresses, Haas’s ability to solve its parts inconsistency will be crucial—not just for the team’s championship standing, but for ensuring that the battle between its two drivers is a fair one. Until then, the numbers will continue to tell only part of the story.
