Haas F1 Team keen to build on historic result at ‘exhilarating’ Mexican Grand Prix

Banbury’s TGR Haas F1 Team head into this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix with very fond recent memories they are seeking to recreate.

Last year in Mexico City, Ollie Bearman came home in P4 to record the best finish of his F1 career, also matching the highest result in Haas’ history.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 25: Esteban Ocon of France driving the (31) Haas F1 VF-26 Ferrari on track during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 25, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

placeholder image — AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 25: Esteban Ocon of France driving the (31) Haas F1 VF-26 Ferrari on track during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 25, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, teammate Esteban Ocon finished in a solid ninth place to secure double points for the team on a historic weekend.

So much has changed since then, not least the tricky-to-navigate 2026 regulation set, but Haas can take great confidence from that previous result.

On Friday, Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will participate in his third FP1 session of the season, this time driving Ocon’s VF-26.

Ocon, who is a free agent beyond this campaign after the announcement he will leave the team and be replaced by Rafael Camara, wants to end his Haas career strongly.

“I'm very happy to be back in Mexico, it's such a beautiful country with great people and passionate fans. I feel very welcome here and always look forward to the atmosphere,” Ocon said.

“I’m missing FP1 this week for Ryo’s session, so my Friday morning will look a bit different to normal, but it’s always interesting to see a session from the other side and how feedback relates to data.

“I’ll be back in from FP2, and it will be vital that we get that setup right for the rest of the weekend.

“As always, the altitude will be a factor to contend with but we are looking forward to getting started and bouncing back from a tough race in Austin.”

An improvement overall is the target this weekend after Ocon finished 14th and Bearman was forced to retire during the United States Grand Prix last time out.

Bearman added: “We move three hours south from the Circuit of The Americas and arrive in Mexico City – a race which is challenging for very different reasons!

“The circuit is famously sat over 2,200 meters above sea level, with altitude being a challenge for both cars and drivers.

“It very much feels like a workout when you’re out on track, but the top speeds around this track due to the lack of air makes it exhilarating to drive.

“We enter the second race of this triple and I’m feeling fresh and motivated, so let’s see what we can do.”

The Mexican Grand Prix gets underway at 8pm GMT on Sunday, November 1.