The 2026 United States Grand Prix marked round 18 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and unfolded over 56 laps at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA). While the headline winners were Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the day was equally eventful for the TGR Haas F1 Team. Both drivers started inside the top-15, yet their fortunes diverged dramatically as the race progressed, leaving the German outfit seventh in the Constructors’ Championship with 30 points.
Esteban Ocon climbs from 15th to finish 14th
Esteban Ocon launched from P15 on the Pirelli P Zero Red soft compound and executed a clean first lap that promoted him to 12th position. The early gain showcased the team’s strong start procedure, a statistic that Ocon himself has highlighted throughout the season. After completing 21 laps, Ocon entered the pits for a set of white-marked hard tyres, re-emerging still in 12th place. The middle stint proved challenging; Audi competitors slipped past, and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad, on fresher softs, edged him out as well. Ultimately, Ocon crossed the finish line in 14th, securing another race-completed result for Haas.
Oliver Bearman’s race ends after a first-lap clash
Rookie Oliver Bearman qualified 13th and mirrored Ocon’s early surge, advancing to 11th on the opening lap. On lap two, he attempted an inside pass on Pierre Gasly into Turn 13, a maneuver that resulted in contact and considerable front-end damage. The stewards deemed Bearman responsible and imposed a 10-second penalty. After pitting on lap 13 for the same white-hard tyre set and a second stop on lap 22 for yellow-marked medium compounds, the accumulated damage forced the team to retire the VF-26 after just 24 laps. Bearman later described the incident as a “racing incident” in which he felt entitled to more space, emphasizing the necessity of aggressive moves to earn points.
Team perspective and championship outlook
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu summed up the weekend as “a mix of disappointments and positives.” He praised both drivers for their strong starts and noted that the car’s race pace exceeded its qualifying performance, a trend observed from Singapore to Austin. However, he acknowledged recurring issues such as front-locking and high-speed understeer that resurfaced for Ocon in the latter stages. Komatsu stressed that resolving these handling inconsistencies before Mexico is essential for climbing the standings. Despite the setback, the team’s seventh-place standing reflects progress, and the unlocked performance on two contrasting circuits offers a hopeful platform for upcoming races.
In the broader context of the championship, Haas’s 30-point total keeps it within striking distance of the teams ahead, but the margin remains tight. The combination of a solid finish from Ocon and the early exit of Bearman illustrates the fine line between gaining points and losing them in a tightly contested field. As the season moves toward its final races, the squad’s ability to fine-tune tyre strategy and eliminate handling quirks will determine whether it can translate strong starts into consistent point hauls.
