Two Formula 1 drivers believe they lost points finishes in the Belgian Grand Prix to a pair of unseen technical issues.
Haas rookie Ollie Bearman had an “incredibly frustrating” race from 12th on the grid to 11th place, mere tenths behind the final points-paying position held by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Bearman had strong pace in the opening laps, with Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon letting him pass him - without receiving a team order to do so - for 11th place on lap 11.
Bearman switched to slicks on lap 12 but was jumped by Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, who had pitted a lap earlier.
But he was still on course for points before coming out of the Bus Stop chicane on lap 13, at which point Bearman slowed with an issue and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin both passed him - plus it allowed Yuki Tsunoda, whom he’d have otherwise undercut, to stay ahead.
Bearman would have been 11th without that issue, which would have become 10th when Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber made a second pitstop. That solitary point instead went Gasly’s way.
“We did box a bit too late from the inter to the slick [on lap 12, while others pitted on lap 11], and got undercut by a few guys, but it happens, it's one of those where it's really difficult to judge, honestly,” Bearman said.
“From my side, I didn't really give much feedback, also on the track, because I was nursing a problem with the engine, and more focused on that, because I was struggling with my battery charge and everything.
“So then after the stops, I was in P10, just behind Hulkenberg, and then coming out of the last corner, I had no power. The engine went to limp mode, and I lost three spots - to Gasly, to Alonso, to Yuki as well.
“So then I spent the whole race just p***ed off and trying to catch it back, but it's impossible to overtake here.”
Bearman managed to clear Tsunoda on the Kemmel Straight on the penultimate lap to return to 11th but fell just short of passing Gasly.
“Oh my god guys, I was so close, f***” a frustrated Bearman said on the team radio after he crossed the line, cutting off his engineer when he started to read out a list of the top 10 finishers.
“The car felt fantastic, I was just unable to overtake, it really sucked as the car was good,” Bearman said after the race.
Hadjar’s mystery problem
Bearman isn’t the only driver leaving Spa believing a technical issue cost them a points finish - as Isack Hadjar says Racing Bulls was denied having two cars in the top 10.
“I had a problem with the car but I just can’t say much - but very frustrating,” a cryptic Hadjar said after the race.
“It made me not competitive and losing quite a bit of time everywhere consistently, and I was aware of it and did my best, it’s super painful, especially with a track like this.”
That problem manifested itself “in the first few laps”, meaning it’s difficult to judge what could have been possible for Hadjar.
But he was just ahead of team-mate Liam Lawson before the issue struck and Lawson finished the race in eighth place.
Lawson pitted on lap 12 while Hadjar pitted on lap 13 - but Lawson pitting first was only because he’d been able to pass the ailing Hadjar, who then came out well outside the points.
Hadjar felt he was fighting a losing battle regardless of what strategy he picked.
“There was no chance to fight, even if I started way ahead I would have been caught and overtaken,” Hadjar said.
“The pace has been super strong the whole weekend, what happened today makes no sense. Where Liam ended up makes a lot of sense.
“It’s a shame for the team to miss a double points finish.”
It’s particularly stinging for Hadjar, as while he did pick up a point in the sprint race, this no-score extended his run of grand prixs without a point to four - off the back of a run of scoring in five of seven.
