So much happened at the Mexico City Grand Prix that it was difficult to overshadow the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, the dramatic near misses and controversial retirements, and the tension of the closing laps as Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc.
But by finishing fourth in a race where no one who started ahead of them pulled out, I’d say Oliver Bearman and Haas did just that.
Two years ago, Bearman made his FP1 debut for Haas in Mexico City and immediately impressed Haas’s then track technical director, Ayao Komatsu. Within three months Komatsu was the team boss and a year later Bearman was one of his drivers.
The FP1’s performance really stood out for Komatsu, especially how quickly Bearman got up to speed. It was similar to Brazil last year, when the young Ferrari driver was called up late to drive Kevin Magnussen’s sick car – his first lap at Interlagos caught the attention of Komatsu – and it didn’t take long for Bearman to make another strong first impression on Sunday.
“Very impressed [with Bearman]” said Komatsu. “On lap 1 he managed to get through the mess in Turn 1, Turn 2, Turn 3, which is often the case here. So he did that very well. And later Max [Verstappen] stood behind us. So to take that pressure from Max and actually drive away from Max was fantastic.
“Then in the second stint we had the pressure from Mercedes again – Mercedes, right?! – and then we are absolutely fine, we didn’t make any mistakes. I think we made the right decision for the second stop.
‘After the second stop, George [Russell] put us under enormous pressure. Then towards the end, [Oscar] Piastri. Those guys are top drivers, top teams, who drive slightly faster cars than us. But today in the race we held our ground.
“It’s just the whole thing, from drivers to engineers to mechanics to the pit stop – a 2.2 second pit stop, I think, which is the fastest we’ve done this year – it’s just a whole team effort. I just can’t express how happy I am for everyone.”
No stage needed for a champagne party by Komatsu (left) and Bearman. Andy Hone/Getty Images
Bearman established himself as a future star with his debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last year, but in 2025 he faced the ups and downs of a full season in F1. In less competitive machinery, he hasn’t had many chances to battle with the top four teams since joining Ferrari, but he took full advantage in Mexico City.
“I had a good start, put myself between the two Mercs and actually had a good pace,” said Bearman. “I was able to stay in DRS, George lost DRS, Hamilton and Max came together a bit and I also benefited from that.
“To be honest, I enjoyed going side-by-side with Max, but it’s really cool to go wheel-to-wheel with these people who I’ve seen since I started watching F1 and I’ve had them in my mirrors for a long time, so it was probably the biggest pressure I’ve ever had in a racing scenario.”
Bearman joked that he was looking for Haas’ first ever podium when he was P3 for the opening stint, but a two-stop strategy helped him keep the majority of the cars at bay, with only Verstappen clearing him with one stop. Instead, he had to settle for fourth, matches the best result Haas has achieved in its F1 history – a statistic not lost on Romain Grosjean, who was present in Mexico. The Frenchman finished fourth for Haas in Austria seven years ago and told Komatsu he hoped Bearman would improve on his 2018 record.
It was a classy touch and just one of many Komatsu received as endless rivals came to congratulate him on the post-race result.
Bearman’s show confirmed the decision to make a late upgrade to the Haas F1 VF-25, and provided some emotional payback for those behind the scenes. Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
While the immediate impact of Bearman’s fourth place and Esteban Ocon’s ninth was to lift Haas to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship – 10 points behind sixth-placed Racing Bulls – the wider impact was a vindication for the decision to upgrade to Austin last weekend, and a reward for team members who give so much all year round.
‘If you don’t get emotional about a day like this, when Are Are you going to get emotional?” Komatsu admitted. “But it’s just because of everything we’ve been through, how much hard work you put in day and night, and how you go through those bad moments, like Melbourne, etc., and how everyone reacted – all those things come back to you.
“Now that I’m talking about this, I’m getting emotional again. But I’m just so happy. And it’s been a great ride for Esteban [Ocon] also, in one go, to make that work and get some more points for the team.
“Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, but when you lose you respect what the others have done, just like Nico [Hulkenberg’s] Silverstone podium finish. Actually, as a team we are very happy for him, even though it is against us. To be honest, I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful championship and a testament to Formula 1 as a whole.
“I’m so happy for everyone in the team, boys and girls – they work so hard. But it’s true in life [that] there are more disappointments than joyful moments. Today I am so proud of everyone. I am so happy that we managed to achieve this result and boost everyone in the team.”
On a day where Lando Norris’ dominance saw a change in the championship lead, it could be the race winner or the driver Bearman who stayed behind to the flag – Piastri – who ultimately feels the impact of the result most in Abu Dhabi. But on Sunday evening it was Haas who celebrated the most.
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