Oliver Bearman has identified a problem with his Haas VF-25 – so far, he only feels comfortable with certain brake pads, with no clear trend emerging
Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman is struggling with a technical problem in his Formula 1 debut that has noticeably affected his performance so far: unpredictable braking behavior. The Haas driver explains that the feel of the brake pedal changes dramatically depending on the brake set installed, with a direct impact on his performance.
The 19-year-old had an “aha” moment at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah. After a difficult start to the weekend, a brake change changed the entire driving experience:
“The weekend in Bahrain was really difficult. Then I came to Jeddah, and the first free practice was also very tough. I thought it was going to be the same as in Bahrain: even though I had decent pace, the car just felt bad,” Bearman explains.
“Then we changed the brakes—and suddenly I felt comfortable in the car again,” he reports. ‘It seems like we’re having a general difficulty getting a good feel for the brakes. And when that’s missing, I find it much harder.’
Brake sets with different characteristics
According to Bearman, the problem is not with the car’s balance, but with the inconsistent characteristics of individual brake sets: “The differences are clear – and we can’t explain why that is at the moment,” he says. “You never know whether the set that’s currently on the car is working normally or whether it’s pulling to the left or right.”
Bearman provided a particularly clear example of this in the aforementioned first free practice session in Jeddah: “I don’t know if you saw it on TV, but I braked heavily in Turn 1 – simply because the braking feel was completely unpredictable.”
The result: inconsistent performance in the first races of the season. In Bahrain, Bearman had little control over the braking behavior despite a solid pace, but still managed to pick up a point. In Jeddah and Suzuka, where he also scored a World Championship point, things went much better.
“I don’t know what happened there”
A sizeable lock-up and slight brush with the wall for Ollie Bearman! F1 SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/QMYgnAxl4s
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 18, 2025
In China, he posted strong lap times but failed to set a fast lap in qualifying. In the race, he followed up with a strong eighth place, his best performance for Haas so far.
“To be honest, I don’t see any clear trends. Of course, Jeddah and Suzuka were good, but China was actually strong too,” Bearman sums up. ‘I’m just trying to get the best out of everything – but the braking feel is currently a decisive factor.’
