Surprise in qualifying at Suzuka, will Bearman be able to confirm in the race?

The surprise guest of Q3 was him: Oliver Bearman achieved a small feat by making it into the Top 10 for the first time this season (and into Q3 for the first time in his career). Equipped with the recent updates brought by Haas in Japan (with a new floor in particular), the Briton was able to get the most out of his advanced VF-25 to pass the first two sessions with flying colors, while his teammate Esteban Ocon – equipped with the same upgrades – was knocked out in Q1. Having set the 8th fastest time in Q2, the rookie could legitimately claim the fourth row on the grid… but after a far-from-perfect final lap, Oliver Bearman will have to settle for 10th place at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Trajectories worked on… in a video game

“I made a mistake on my last lap, which cost me a bit of time. I could have been a bit higher up the grid, but [the field] is incredibly tight. Just getting into Q2 was a big relief. It’s also a big surprise to be in Q3, but a welcome one. I’m very happy with my performance today.”, reacted a satisfied, but a little upset Oliver Bearman, in the mixed zone at the F1 microphone. On a track that he discovers aboard a Formula 1 - he participated in the Super Formula Rookie Test last December, in order to learn the circuit – Oliver Bearman used slightly different trajectories from the others, directly inspired by… a video game, iRacing. A method that works for the young Englishman.

"I had oversteer in the chicane. I was taking more and more curbs with each lap, and I went too far on my last lap, he explained. Every time I did it, I gained lap time, so I thought, why not take a little more? (…) I was getting as close to the wall as possible. I don't know why everyone doesn't do that. I've been doing it since day one, it's the iRacing line.

Elation in the Ollie Bearman camp 😃

The Haas driver lines up P10 for tomorrow's race 👊#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/NUmsxFbAqs

- Formula 1 (@ F1) April 5, 2025

Bearman faces weather uncertainty

At Suzuka, Oliver Bearman caused a stir and confirmed his good form, two weeks after his 8th place and his first points in China. A performance that was highlighted by his team principal, Ayao Komatsu, proud to have a car in Q3 for the first time this season. “It was a huge team effort. The team worked really hard, Ollie [Bearman] did a fantastic job, and that second attempt in Q2 was incredible, testifies the Japanese leader. In Q3 it wasn't perfect but I'm not complaining, I think it's good to see that if everything had been put together in Q3 it could have been even better, which is positive. We need to look at the data to understand why Esteban [Ocon] was where he was. Considering how we started this weekend, I'm very happy with the team's effort in getting a car into Q3."

Now, the hardest part remains for Oliver Bearman: confirming his performance in the race, consistently, against the competition. And the Briton could face one of his worst enemies: rain, which is expected on the morning of the Grand Prix and possibly during the race. The Haas driver has already had the opportunity to drive twice in the rain in F1, in Brazil last year and in Australia at the start of the 2025 season. Each time, Oliver Bearman suffered – which is not common for an Englishman in wet conditions – and has always struggled, with finishes far from the points. This start in 10th place could be the right opportunity to break this bad streak in the rain. I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow, we have to see the weather forecast and how it's going to affect things. It's going to be fun, that's for sure, it's amazing to drive on this track. We'll see tomorrow."

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