Ocon opens his counter in China: "We have turned the situation around"

Article updated on March 23, 2025 at 13:03 p.m.

Starting eleventh on the grid, Esteban Ocon had a great opportunity to unlock his counter and that of his team Haas this Sunday in China. A perfectly accomplished mission by the Frenchman, who finished in a fine fifth place in Shanghai, benefiting from the disqualification of the two Ferrari.

“It was a lot of stress, because it wasn't the plan we had planned, confided the Norman to the microphone of Canal+We started with a two-stop strategy, but everyone changed plans during the race, as the degradation was less severe than expected. The car really came to life on these tires when the others were starting to degrade. I saw that I had the right pace, even if I was lacking a bit of straight-line speed. That's pleasing considering where we were in Melbourne. We turned the situation around in a week, which we didn't necessarily think was possible. It shows that we know where we're going."

Like the day before after qualifying, Esteban Ocon insisted on the “potential of this car”. The driver of the Haas No. 31 notably demonstrated what his car had in the belly thanks to a superb overtaking on the Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whom he overtook in the ranking. “It was hot, the Tricolor laughs at it. We weren't the best on the straights, so we had to go for it. It was the right time, because there was traffic and quite a few positions to gain. I knew that by gaining a place now, I would keep it for the rest of the race. We managed to overtake a Mercedes, that's nice!

Ocon in the points, Bearman too

Esteban Ocon's seventh place finish was also the result of a poor strategic decision by Haas's main rival team during the race: Racing Bulls. The Italian team decided to stick to a two-stop strategy while its two drivers, Yuki tsunoda and Isack Hadjar, were in position to score points.

"Yuki (Tsunoda) was managing his tires a lot before accelerating. I thought they were going to make a one-stop, but that wasn't the case. Once I found myself alone, I focused on managing my tires. There were about 30 laps left, which is huge! I had doubts at one point, but the team made the right choice."

After a disastrous Grand Prix for Haas in Australia, which suggested a season in hell for the American team, the team turned things around perfectly with a double points finish. Oliver Bearman also made the most of a one-stop strategy to claim the point for 10th place after a strong comeback in the second half of the race.

See you on April 6 in Japan to see if Esteban Ocon and Haas will be able to continue their new momentum.

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