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Haas—America's lone F1 outfit—opened 2026 with real promise. Ollie Bearman grabbed P5 in China, the team banked 21 points across the first three rounds, and suddenly they looked like midfield contenders under the new regs. Then the wheels fell off. They haven't scored since Round 6, tumbling to seventh while Alpine, Racing Bulls, and others streaked past with upgrades that actually worked. Bearman's still beating teammate Esteban Ocon 8-3 in qualifying and 7-4 on Sundays, but the VF-26 has been a rollercoaster—deployment gremlins, contact between the drivers in Monaco and Spa, and a mysterious lack of rear downforce that leaves them outside the points most weekends. The summer break gives Haas a chance to figure out why their development curve flatlined while everyone else climbed. Team Principal Ayao Komatsu built a reputation for scrapping his way up the order; now he needs to prove it wasn't a fluke before Audi and Williams erase that 40-point cushion to sixth.
Read the full story at formula1.comHOW HAAS’ 2026 SEASON HAS PLAYED OUT SO FAR
Haas—America's lone F1 outfit—opened 2026 with real promise. Ollie Bearman grabbed P5 in China, the team banked 21 points across the first three rounds, and suddenly they looked like midfield contenders under the new regs. Then the wheels fell off. They haven't scored since Round 6, tumbling to seventh while Alpine, Racing Bulls, and others streaked past with upgrades that actually worked. Bearman's still beating teammate Esteban Ocon 8-3 in qualifying and 7-4 on Sundays, but the VF-26 has been a rollercoaster—deployment gremlins, contact between the drivers in Monaco and Spa, and a mysterious lack of rear downforce that leaves them outside the points most weekends. The summer break gives Haas a chance to figure out why their development curve flatlined while everyone else climbed. Team Principal Ayao Komatsu built a reputation for scrapping his way up the order; now he needs to prove it wasn't a fluke before Audi and Williams erase that 40-point cushion to sixth.
