The 2026 Formula 1 season has reached its halfway point, and motorsport.com has assigned grades to all teams. This time, we analyze the case of Haas, which started with good momentum but has seen the competition overtake it as the season progressed.
After the first races, driver Oliver Bearman provided Haas with a promising start, placing the team in seventh position in the constructors’ standings with 21 points. However, the gap to rivals like Racing Bulls and Alpine has widened, and the team now finds itself ahead of Audi and Williams. This downward trend has resulted in their grade being reduced to a C-.
Positive Aspects
Despite being the smallest team on the grid, Haas has demonstrated remarkable resilience in facing the regulatory changes of 2026. Its ability to adapt has been surprising, achieving a solid base package with its VF-26 vehicle.
In the early races, Haas showed exceptional performance, particularly standing out in Melbourne and China, with Bearman finishing fifth. In total, the team accumulated 18 points in the first three races, creating expectations for the rest of the season in direct competition with Alpine.
Additionally, technical collaboration with Toyota will begin to bear fruit, with the implementation of its own simulator and a test program to evaluate drivers.
Negative Aspects
Despite this good start, the intense competition has highlighted Haas’s limitations in vehicle development. As other teams have rolled out significant upgrades, the team has struggled to keep pace. Major upgrades from Racing Bulls in Canada left Haas behind, and since Barcelona, driver performance has declined.
Haas’s best performance in recent races was a twelfth position at Silverstone. The reliance on Bearman, who has scored all the team’s points, has become considerable pressure. While Esteban Ocon has not been able to perform at his best level, inconsistencies in parts quality have affected his confidence with the VF-26.
Team Principal’s Opinions
Ayao Komatso, team principal, commented: “The start of the season was spectacular. We have exceeded expectations in terms of teamwork and reliability. However, after the April break, the competition has ramped up their development pace, and we have not been able to keep up. Our technicians are doing an incredible job, and it’s more a matter of providing a better working environment.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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