Oliver Bearman has cautioned that Haas could lose ground to its midfield rivals unless the team speeds up its development efforts. The warning came after the driver finished 14th in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Bearman placed 14th in Austria, behind both Alpine and Racing Bulls entries as well as the Audi cars of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. His teammate Esteban Ocon recorded a similar result.
The Briton said rivals had introduced more upgrades and more effective ones. He pointed to shortfalls in traction and rear downforce that left the VF-26 struggling on corner entry and exit.
"They've bought more upgrades, and they've bought more effective upgrades as well," Bearman told reporters. "So, they've made a big step forward and we haven't."
Team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged the need to improve performance. "We need to raise the baseline," he said. "Which means a faster car, and we’re working on it."