Bearman links Sepang Q1 exit to Haas setup error

Oliver Bearman qualified 18th at Sepang on Saturday, with Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon also eliminated in Q1. Bearman said a setup error in Friday’s second practice had disrupted his preparation: the configuration fitted to his car was not the one Haas had intended to run.

The issue was corrected for Saturday’s final practice, in which Bearman finished 17th. He said he had only two push laps in that session to learn what the corrected car needed, after losing the chance to do that work on Friday.

Bearman said no individual was to blame, describing the error as a failure of team processes. He believed the lost preparation kept him from reaching Q2.