Ollie Bearman expressed surprise at his strong showing during the Sprint Qualifying session ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. The Haas driver finished ninth in Sprint Qualifying 3 (SQ3) at the Shanghai International Circuit, positioning himself to compete in the 19-lap Sprint race from the ninth starting spot. Bearman maintained a steady pace throughout the session, finishing the single, one-hour practice session in seventh place before advancing to the final qualifying round. He remarked, “We showed really good pace already from lap one of FP1 and we were able to build on that and go forward.” Despite challenges with the car’s balance, which Bearman described as “a bit on edge,” he managed to complete a clean lap to secure a respectable qualifying position. He added, “It was a tough session, the balance was a bit on edge and difficult to put the lap together but we got there in the end and happy with P9 today.” Starting directly behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Bearman views scoring points in the Sprint race as a realistic goal. With points awarded to the top eight finishers, his ninth-place start places him on the edge of the scoring group. Bearman’s performance marks progress compared to his seventh-place finish in the opening round in Australia. He noted that the gap to the leading teams has narrowed more than expected. “We seem to have closed it a little bit compared to last week, and honestly prior to the weekend, I was not expecting to be in the fight for the top eight because we expected the four teams to be so far ahead,” he explained. He also pointed out that Red Bull did not demonstrate “incredible pace” during qualifying, suggesting Haas could challenge for points if they optimize their performance in the Sprint.#red_bull #max_verstappen #shanghai_international_circuit #ollie_bearman #haas
Fan Forum: McLaren, Williams, Cadillac, Audi, Aston Martin, Racing Bulls & Alpine hit the fan stage Ollie Bearman, the Haas driver, expressed surprise at his strong performance during the China Sprint Qualifying, starting from ninth position on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race. The British driver admitted he hadn’t anticipated being in contention for points, having finished seventh in the single-hour practice session on Friday before advancing to SQ3. Bearman highlighted the team’s consistent pace throughout the session, noting that they had built on their early performance in FP1. “We showed really good pace already from lap one of FP1 and were able to build on that and go forward,” he said. Despite the challenges of balancing the car, Bearman was satisfied with his P9 finish. Bearman acknowledged the difficulty of the session, describing the balance as “a bit on edge” but praised the team’s progress. He emphasized that the gap to the leaders was unexpected, especially after finishing seventh in Australia last weekend. “We seem to have closed it a little bit compared to last week,” he noted, adding that the Red Bull of Max Verstappen would be directly ahead of him. Bearman expressed confidence that if the team maximizes their performance on Saturday, they could secure points in the Sprint, which rewards the top eight finishers. He also hinted that the race on Sunday would be where the real competition begins. Haas teammate Esteban Ocon, however, was less pleased with his performance, finishing 12th in SQ3. Ocon admitted the car’s performance had not met expectations, stating, “We can’t be pleased with that.” He acknowledged improvements from FP1 to the qualifying session but emphasized that there were still unresolved issues.#ollie_bearman #esteban_ocon #haas #f1 #china_sprint_qualifying
F1 Driver Jack Doohan Claims Armed Men Confronted Him in Miami After Death Threats Australia’s Jack Doohan revealed in a recent episode of the Netflix documentary Drive To Survive that he faced death threats and a dangerous encounter with armed men shortly before his departure from Alpine, the Formula One team. The incident occurred around the time of last year’s Miami Grand Prix, which marked the sixth race of the 2025 season and the final race of Doohan’s tenure with Alpine. Doohan, who made his debut for Alpine in the last race of 2024, was replaced by Franco Colapinto in May 2025. In the documentary, he described receiving severe threats via email, with messages warning that he would be “killed” if he remained in the car for the Miami race. He recounted receiving multiple emails stating that if he was still competing in the event, “all my limbs will be cut off.” The driver also detailed an incident where he encountered three armed men, prompting him to call his police escort to de-escalate the situation. He did not specify how the confrontation was resolved or identify those involved. The details of the incident remain unclear, though Doohan emphasized the tense atmosphere surrounding his final race. Following his replacement by Colapinto, Doohan shared on social media that he and his family had been subjected to online abuse, which he attributed to fans from Colapinto’s home country, Argentina. The two drivers were the only ones in F1 last season who failed to score a single point, as Alpine finished last in the constructors’ standings. Doohan is now serving as a reserve driver for Haas, a role that has limited his involvement in the sport.#alpine #miami_grand_prix #franco_colapinto #haas #jack_doohan
