Esteban Ocon on Haas performance: "Quite unexpected to be where we are"

Following a difficult 2025 Australian Grand Prix that saw both Haas cars struggle for pace, French driver Esteban Ocon has admitted his surprise at the American team's lack of performance.

“It was worth trying as in the end we didn’t lose any time, we just optimised what we had, and I think it is really the performance we missed out on this race," he said on his late change to slicks after a stretch of rain racing on intermediates. 

“If we had a little bit more we could have been in the mix for points. The cars were fighting just in front and I was there. There was two or three positions for me to get inside the top 10 but I just couldn’t keep up unfortunately.

“That’s why we need to give it a good look as it is not what we’ve seen, so it is quite unexpected to be where we are in this weekend. I’m sure we will figure out things to turn it around in the next round.”

The American outfit's 2025 campaign got off to a rocky start with Ocon qualifying 19th and his team-mate Ollie Bearman lining up at the very back of the grid. Bearman's weekend was particularly difficult as he started his first full-time season in the sport. He crashed during FP1, leaving his car in a state of repair over FP2, and gearbox issues in FP3 ruined what was left of his practice. 

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

During the race, both drivers exhibited poor pace, unlike last year when the team made strong progress finishing seventh in the constructors' standings. For Ocon, who joined Haas after an exit from Alpine, this won't be the level of performance he was expecting.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu now faces the challenge of identifying the team's deficit. Only earlier this year did Komatsu confirm his interest in flexi-wings, but this will likely be put on hold after the change in regulations. With an all-new driver lineup on top of this, the learning curve is going to be steep.