No gamechanger? Haas hardly benefits from new Ferrari engine

– At the Italian Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman had the opportunity to use the new ADUO upgrade of the Ferrari power unit. However, the Haas driver does not see a big difference in terms of performance for his car.

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“Let’s put it this way: It is a much smaller step than the upgrade [for our car],” Bearman explained after qualifying in Monza. In the royal park, both Haas drivers were able to start with a brand-new upgrade package. The engine, however, was according to Bearman “not a gamechanger.”

This impression is confirmed by Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. After all, the factory team from Maranello also relied on the new engine in Monza. The gap to class leader Mercedes could not be closed. “We did not expect to close the gap with ADUO 1 or ADUO 2,” he said.

F1: Italian Grand Prix (Monza) 2026

“Of course, the goal is to catch up, and as quickly as possible. But I did not expect that we would catch up to Mercedes in two months.”

Nevertheless, Bearman was able to take seven tenths off his teammate Esteban Ocon in Q2. Ocon still has to wait for the new power unit compared to Bearman.

But apart from differences in performance, Ocon has been struggling for months with the variable characteristics of his VF-26. Why exactly only the 29-year-old’s single-seater causes these problems remains a mystery to all involved. Consequently, a fair comparison between Ocon and Bearman is almost impossible.

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“Unfortunately, we are still losing a lot compared to Ollie, especially on the rear axle of the car,” Ocon explained in Monza. He attributes the large time difference to Bearman to a combination of “lack of downforce and the power deficit.”

Regarding the aero upgrade including new floor, new sidepods, or adjusted engine cover, Ocon emphasizes: “They worked for Ollie, yes, they really did.”

Bearman himself explains about the VF-26 in the royal park that the upgrade package brings two to three times as much performance compared to the new engine.

According to Bearman, the engine alone would not have been enough, for example, to get the VF-26 into Q2 in Zandvoort. Either way, Haas could not score any championship points in Monza. Bearman started the Grand Prix from eleventh place and finished 15th. Ocon started from 14th position and crossed the finish line in 16th place.

In the constructors’ championship, they are seventh with 21 points before the race weekend in Madrid. Since the Monaco Grand Prix, the team has not scored any points.

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