‘A really horrible weekend’ as Haas suffer double Dutch DNF

Haas suffered a double retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix after both Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon retired with technical issues. Bearman’s car lost power on the formation lap following a red flag restart, completing just one racing lap, while Ocon retired mid-race due to a power unit failure. Neither driver was in a position to score points, but the retirements highlighted ongoing reliability concerns for the team.

Bearman expressed frustration after his early exit, noting the engine failure occurred despite a strong start and first lap. He described the weekend as disappointing and acknowledged the team’s lack of recent track time with the car. Haas had last upgraded the car in Canada, but the changes failed to improve performance, leaving the team struggling in the midfield. Ocon, who completed most of the race before retiring, also cited a power unit-related issue as the cause.

Haas currently sits seventh in the constructors’ standings, but Audi in eighth place are closing rapidly after scoring in four consecutive races. The team’s reliability issues contrast with their strong start to the season, when they were fighting for points. Bearman has now failed to finish four races this year, while Ocon recorded his first DNF of the season in Zandvoort. The midfield battle remains intense, with Racing Bulls, Alpine, Audi, and Aston Martin all competitive.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged the disappointment of the double DNF but highlighted a positive aspect: the team’s fastest pit stop of the season during Ocon’s stop. He emphasized the need to investigate the power unit failures while noting that the car’s performance before the issues was as expected. Haas plans upgrades for the next race in Monza, hoping to improve their pace and capitalize on future opportunities as they aim to secure points in a tightly contested midfield.