Bearman finished behind Lando Norris (McLaren), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — a remarkable achievement considering the caliber of his rivals and the relative resources of his team. It marked only the second time since 2016 that Haas has placed fourth in a Formula 1 race, matching Romain Grosjean’s performance at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix.
“I didn’t expect to be fighting against these top cars this year or at this stage of my career,” Bearman admitted after the race. “But it gives me a great feeling for the future. And hopefully that can be the normal thing.”
Team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the effort, highlighting the steady improvements that have transformed the team’s competitiveness this season.
“The car has been competitive at every race excluding the opening round, and that’s credit to the team,” Komatsu said. “We knew a big result would come one day, but we couldn’t force it — we had to focus on our own race, and that’s what we did today.”
Owned by Gene Haas, the team recently introduced an upgrade package to the VF-25 at the United States Grand Prix, where Bearman also finished in the points in ninth place. The performance boost carried over to Mexico, with his teammate Esteban Ocon also scoring points with a ninth-place finish.
Bearman, who made his Formula 1 debut last year in Saudi Arabia when he filled in for an unwell Carlos Sainz Jr., continues to impress with his composure and pace against far more experienced competitors. He even found himself dueling with three-time world champion Max Verstappen, an experience he described with equal parts nerves and excitement.
“Honestly, I was shutting myself going side by side with Max,” he laughed. “But it’s really cool to go relatively well with these people I’ve been following since I started watching F1.”
Despite his breakthrough performance, Bearman’s post-race plans were far from glamorous.
“Tonight I’m on the first flight back home,” he said with a grin. “And I’ll be straight to bed. Honestly, I’m tired now.”
For Haas, the result represents validation of months of steady progress — and for Bearman, it may well be the moment that cements his place as one of Formula 1’s most promising young drivers.