Oliver Bearman was best of the rest in Australia, securing an impressive P7 result for Haas. In line with the general observations from testing, the VF-26 was competitive at the season opener.
Bearman will be pleased to have maintained the form he showed in the second half of last season and gotten points on the board so early. What the British driver is not pleased with, however, is the experience of driving these 2026 cars.
Whilst some drivers have shown positivity about these regulations, many have expressed opposition.
These 2026 machines are being criticised from several directions, although the battery’s electrical deployment appears the most common talking point.
From Bearman’s perspective, the electrical component of the new engines play too big a role.
Bearman gives initial verdict of F1 2026 cars
As the team with the fewest resources in F1, Haas deserve credit for their start to 2026. The VF-26 is a very solid machine, both in terms of the chassis and exploitation of the Ferrari power unit.
Whilst some customer teams are struggling to optimise the new engines, Haas have a good handling on the situation.
By extension, Haas’ package is compliant and responds well to driver input. This gives both Haas’ engineers and the drivers a solid platform to build from.
In what is becoming business as usual for the US team, it was Oliver Bearman who led the charge. The 20-year-old continues to demonstrate why, as early as 2023, team principal Ayao Komatsu rated him so highly.
Still, Bearman’s positive result did not detract from his frustrations surrounding these regulations.
The Haas driver told the media his unfiltered thoughts on the 2026 cars:
“It’s a lot of stuff to think about, which is complicated. But the fact I finished P7 means that I’m happy, even if the car has not been the most fun to drive this weekend…
“It’s a bit ridiculous, to be honest – to have that much delta in a button and to lose that much on the next straight. It’s also very non-linear.
“So what you gain on the straight, where you use the boost, is a quarter what you lose on the next straight.
“So unless you basically complete the move at the start of the straight… you complete the move and then you harvest, harvest, harvest – the next straight they’re going to get you back.
“That’s not racing, that’s Formula E,” he concluded.
A positive outlook for Haas
Bearman joins Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and many other drivers to criticise the latest iteration of F1 machines. Although complaints after a new set of regulations are not uncommon, the dissatisfaction over recent days has been very notable.
Arguably the biggest problem is the limitations the cars encounter in qualifying. In past regulation changes, even when they were unpopular, drivers could push to the limit on Saturdays.
In 2026, however, cars running out of deployment on the straights somewhat takes away the usual thrill of qualifying – particularly in the onboard cameras.
Some circuits, mainly those with shorter straights, should avoid the worst of this problem. Moreover, tracks where electrical charging is less demanding could also see fewer instances of drivers running out of energy.
Regardless, there regulations are inevitably going to divide opinion. The true test is whether 2026 can produce a competitive battle for the Championship.
If the battles we saw in Australia between Mercedes and Ferrari persist (potentially with the addition of another team) then complaints about these cars are likely to fade. At the same time, if the Mercedes W18 proves dominant, impatience and frustrations could grow more easily.