Ocon: Haas have not been 'consistent enough' this season

For all the focus on Red Bull and their difficulties, they are not the only ones suffering from an erratic package.

Haas are also victims of an unreliable baseline. Not only does the VF-25 deliver surprises from week to week, but it often delivers dramatically different results in the same session.

It is not unusual for Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman to have significantly different results in the same session.

Bearman’s learning curve as a rookie has only exacerbated Haas’ failure to establish a wide enough operating window.

After crossing the chequered flag in Budapest, Ocon gave a candid reflection about the first half of 2025:

“Difficult day for sure, I think we need to have a good look – [to see] if we’d have used a different strategy, if it would have given us anything.

“I don’t think so, in hindsight… We need to work a little bit more on getting the car under control, and more pace throughout the race.

“Looking at this first half, there are some positives definitely. We scored a certain amount of points.

“But we are not consistent enough, in where we want to be every single time.”

An uphill battle in the second half

Haas secured their best result in Formula 1 since 2018 last year, finishing an impressive 7th in the standings.

Only a few months ago, Haas looked on track to build upon this final position and fight for P5 in the Championship.

Unfortunately for Komatsu’s team, the dynamics in the midfield battle have shifted dramatically.

Aston Martin are now regular points scorers, finishing in the top 10 in five of the last six races.

Fernando Alonso’s performances have been particularly impressive, capitalising on effective upgrades to the AMR25.

Sauber, who many predicted would finish 2025 in last place, are now regularly in the fight for points.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s P6 at the Hungarian GP also underscores the fact that, alongside teammate Nico Hulkenberg, he is fast enough to hold his own in a very tight midfield.

Upgrades will be few and far between over the next few months, as the 2026 regulations become the priority.

For Haas, climbing the pecking order will be difficult. Barring any unexpected shifts, Alpine are the only team they can expect to be slower than them for the rest of 2025.

Still, as the last two race weekends have shown, there will be opportunities for Haas to claim sizable points hauls.