Haas navigate a tense but productive opening day in Monaco as Bearman edges ahead of Ocon

Haas experienced a mixed but ultimately encouraging start to their Monaco Grand Prix weekend, combining early‑session tension with meaningful progress across both practice sessions.

The team’s day began with intra‑team friction in FP1, as Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman found themselves disputing the same piece of track — an exchange that left neither driver impressed and ensured Ayao Komatsu would have a lively debrief on his hands.

Once the dust settled, however, Haas delivered a solid day of running, with Bearman making a notable step forward in FP2 while Ocon continued to search for the confidence needed to attack Monaco’s narrow streets.

The opening session saw both Haas drivers struggling to find rhythm. Ocon finished P17 with a 1:16.333, while Bearman placed P16 with a 1:16.292. The pair’s early on‑track squabble disrupted their flow, and neither driver was able to extract a representative lap time.

But the session did provide valuable data — and a clear sense of where the VF‑26 needed refinement.

The afternoon brought a more encouraging picture. Bearman made a decisive step forward, climbing to P10 with a 1:14.456, showing improved balance and confidence as the team dialled in the setup.

The 19‑year‑old was satisfied with the progress: “I’m quite happy with the progress we’ve made today in Monaco, as we know how important this weekend is. FP1 was challenging, but in FP2 we made a step forward, and I’m quite happy with the balance that we had.”

He also stressed the importance of overnight refinement: “We still have a lot of work to do overnight, but with a bit of finetuning, I think we can move up some places and that’s the target for tomorrow, as we know the most important part of this weekend is qualifying.”

Ocon, meanwhile, remained stuck in P17 in both sessions, unable to match Bearman’s pace as he continued to probe the car’s limitations.

The Frenchman kept his focus on the bigger picture: “Today was practice, but we know it’s tomorrow that matters. Today was about figuring out the limitations of the car, and we have some good data now, so it’s up to us to improve the car.”

He expects to push harder once the team unlocks more confidence: “Tomorrow morning is when we’ll start getting closer to the wall, pushing harder, and finding out where we are.”