Haas expect to fight for points in Mexico

Haas expect to fight for points in Mexico

      The Haas team continues the fight for eighth place in the Constructors' Championship. In the previous two rounds Oliver Bearman scored four points, and the team is hoping to continue the scoring run in Mexico.

      Ayo Komatsu, team principal: "The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a truly unique circuit. It is located at a very high altitude above sea level, which means that aero packages designed for high downforce actually produce low downforce, and on top of that there are serious cooling problems.

      Assessing the VF‑25 high‑downforce package, and given that we are largely doing everything right, I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to fight for points.

      I'm not fixated on the result itself — it will be what it will be — but we need to focus on the process, on what exactly we are doing and what approach we are taking."

      Oliver Bearman: "I'm glad to be returning to Mexico. This is my third time at this circuit — in the previous two years I took part in first practice. Overall I like the city — it's fun and unique.

      The high altitude creates additional challenges, primarily for the drivers, because the reduced oxygen in the air makes the race physically demanding.

      As for the car, it produces less downforce, and the brakes operate almost at their limit compared with races on ordinary circuits. I'm happy that I will finally be able to race at this circuit after taking part in several practice sessions."

      Esteban Ocon: "I'm looking forward to returning to Mexico this weekend. It's a great country with wonderful people, and the atmosphere in the city and at the circuit is unique, because the passion of the Mexican fans is felt from the very first second.

      What I like most is the 'Stadium' section. It's always great to go through it, and before the race it energizes all the drivers.

      The Mexican circuit is special also because, due to its high altitude, the car handles differently, so all teams pay attention to that.

      As for me, lately weekends haven't gone very smoothly, and luck hasn't always been on my side. We'll try to have a clean weekend, get the most out of the car and fight for a strong result in Mexico."

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"To be completely honest, it's not something I'm focused on at all," the Frenchman stated. "This is the right approach for McLaren. I don’t have an opinion on it—it's up to them." Verstappen's commanding performance in Texas has reduced Piastri's lead to just 40 points, with Norris also closing the gap. However, Piastri dismissed the notion of elevating one driver over the other. 

"I don’t think that's the case," the Australian said. "We're still incredibly close, and we've both expressed a desire to compete for the championship because we both deserve it. It’s too tight to start favoring one driver over the other." Team principal Andrea Stella concurred, indicating that McLaren will only interfere if the situation calls for it mathematically. 

"If a decision needs to be made, it will be purely based on the mathematics," Stella confirmed. "I can recall the years 2007 and 2010, where the third-place driver ended up winning the championship on the last race. We won't shut the door unless the math dictates it." 

Verstappen’s recent performance—gaining 23 points on Piastri in Austin alone—has added pressure on McLaren, with Dr. Helmut Marko suggesting that Red Bull has "another car update in the pipeline." Nonetheless, Stella emphasized the need for the team to remain composed. 

"First and foremost, I need to keep calm myself," he said. "What we’re currently experiencing—an intense battle for wins and the Drivers' Championship—is precisely what Formula 1 represents. It was unusual for us to achieve P1 and P2 so easily in Barcelona, Bahrain, and several other venues. Now it's about adapting to this level of pressure and managing it with maximum intensity but minimal stress." 

He added, "We don’t want to lose the enjoyment of what we do. It’s a privilege to be in this position, one that is the result of the hard work from the team and both drivers. Our approach going forward is straightforward: continue performing well, and the results will come." 

Despite Verstappen’s efforts, Stella refuted suggestions that McLaren is losing grip in the battle. "The fact that we still have five races and two sprints means we could potentially widen the gap to Verstappen," he noted. "We view the upcoming races as an opportunity to extend that gap." Despite Max Verstappen's title challenge intensifying the championship race, McLaren remains steadfast in their stance that neither Oscar Piastri nor Lando Norris will be designated as the 'number 1' driver. Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies commented after the Austin race that McLaren’s consideration of this issue is "exactly what they should be doing." "To be completely honest, it's not something I'm focused on at all," the Frenchman stated. "This is the right approach for McLaren. I don’t have an opinion on it—it's up to them." Verstappen's commanding performance in Texas has reduced Piastri's lead to just 40 points, with Norris also closing the gap. However, Piastri dismissed the notion of elevating one driver over the other. "I don’t think that's the case," the Australian said. "We're still incredibly close, and we've both expressed a desire to compete for the championship because we both deserve it. It’s too tight to start favoring one driver over the other." Team principal Andrea Stella concurred, indicating that McLaren will only interfere if the situation calls for it mathematically. "If a decision needs to be made, it will be purely based on the mathematics," Stella confirmed. "I can recall the years 2007 and 2010, where the third-place driver ended up winning the championship on the last race. We won't shut the door unless the math dictates it." Verstappen’s recent performance—gaining 23 points on Piastri in Austin alone—has added pressure on McLaren, with Dr. Helmut Marko suggesting that Red Bull has "another car update in the pipeline." Nonetheless, Stella emphasized the need for the team to remain composed. "First and foremost, I need to keep calm myself," he said. "What we’re currently experiencing—an intense battle for wins and the Drivers' Championship—is precisely what Formula 1 represents. It was unusual for us to achieve P1 and P2 so easily in Barcelona, Bahrain, and several other venues. Now it's about adapting to this level of pressure and managing it with maximum intensity but minimal stress." He added, "We don’t want to lose the enjoyment of what we do. It’s a privilege to be in this position, one that is the result of the hard work from the team and both drivers. Our approach going forward is straightforward: continue performing well, and the results will come." Despite Verstappen’s efforts, Stella refuted suggestions that McLaren is losing grip in the battle. "The fact that we still have five races and two sprints means we could potentially widen the gap to Verstappen," he noted. "We view the upcoming races as an opportunity to extend that gap." Formula 1 | Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expresses his appreciation for John Elkann's public endorsement—not due to a need for validation, but because it should (…) Max Verstappen: I don't like to speculate. Max Verstappen: I don't like to speculate. Max Verstappen commented on the results of the United States Grand Prix: although his chances of the title have clearly improved, he made it clear that he is trying not to think about what awaits him at the remaining rounds of the season... Madrid's F1 preparations are 'progressing ahead of timeline'. Madrid's F1 preparations are 'progressing ahead of timeline'. Formula 1 | According to regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso, Madrid's preparations to host the Spanish GP starting in 2026 are advancing more swiftly than anticipated. (…) Verstappen supports Rovanpera's 'crazy' move to F1. Verstappen supports Rovanpera's 'crazy' move to F1. Formula 1 | Max Verstappen expresses his complete support for Kalle Rovanpera’s surprising choice to leave rallying and aim for a career in Formula 1 – even if it’s a challenging path. George Russell on which tyres Formula 1 needs George Russell on which tyres Formula 1 needs Commenting on the outcome of the race in Austin, George Russell said with regret that overtaking in Formula 1 has become very difficult...

Haas expect to fight for points in Mexico

The Haas team continues to fight for eighth place in the Constructors' Championship. Over the past two rounds, Oliver Bearman has scored four points, and the team is counting on the scoring streak continuing in Mexico.