Ocon under pressure as Bearman leads Haas charge

Esteban Ocon is coming under intense pressure at Haas, with the team locked in a lucrative late-season fight for sixth place in the constructors’ standings - and rookie Oliver Bearman delivering almost all of the points.

Over the last four grands prix, Haas have outscored their direct rivals and now head into the final three races with real momentum after the team’s major Austin upgrade paid off. The difference between sixth and ninth in the championship is estimated at around $27m.

But the points are coming from just one car.

Of Haas’ last 24 points, Bearman has scored 22. The 29-year-old Frenchman has not finished ahead of the 20-year-old Briton since Silverstone in July.

"It’s a challenge to get both drivers to deliver," team boss Ayao Komatsu said in Las Vegas. "Esteban himself admits he didn’t get the best out of qualifying last time. We need both drivers scoring - we’re 100 percent capable of that."

Bearman has reached Q3 at the last four races. In the same period, Ocon has suffered three Q1 eliminations.

Haas believe they can realistically fight for sixth if both cars perform, with the VF-25 proving strong in slow corners and significantly improved in fast sections since the latest updates.

"We’ve lost points at the end of the season for the last two years. That shouldn’t happen this time," technical director Andrea de Zordo told Auto Motor und Sport.

There is one complication - Bearman is carrying nine penalty points on his licence - with 12 triggering an automatic race ban.