Incidents on Track for Bearman and Hirakawa, No Serious Damage Reported
Esteban Ocon remains somewhat dissatisfied with his car after the initial day of testing at the unprecedented Spanish Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the Alpine F1 driver maintains an optimistic outlook for the upcoming sessions, confident that significant improvements can be achieved after only one free practice session on Friday.
“It was a challenging day; we need to analyze many aspects because the car didn’t feel quite right. There were missing elements here and there-stability, balance, grip-and we must optimize everything. We only completed one fast lap on soft tires, but we plan to do more tomorrow and aim to build on that.” Ocon explained.
When asked about potential damage caused by Ryo Hirakawa, who was driving his car and went off track during the first practice session, the French driver reassured that no harm was done: “No, everything was fine!”
He also clarified that the recent directive to reduce wing flexibility did not significantly impact his car’s performance or handling: “No, from that perspective, it was very similar. It didn’t bring any major changes for us. It’s the usual setup for us.”
Oliver Bearman, pictured above, expressed disappointment with his day, which included a high-speed spin in Turn 3 that fortunately resulted in no damage: “It was a tough day, especially in the second session. I struggled with high-speed balance issues, which was quite frightening and cost me valuable time.”
“It’s unfortunate, but tonight we’ll focus on making the car more predictable. If we find the right window of operation, I believe we’ll be in a good position because the car was quick in the first session.”
Meanwhile, Ryo Hirakawa, shown below, encountered a minor issue during his practice run, involving a brief excursion into the gravel. Fortunately, he managed to gather valuable data in the warm conditions of Barcelona.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity the team provided. The gravel incident was unnecessary, but I experienced brake problems throughout the session, which made me uncomfortable and difficult to control the car,” the Japanese driver recounted.
“However, the car was significantly improved compared to Bahrain thanks to several updates. With the high temperatures, managing driving style became more challenging, but overall, the session went well. I’m pleased with the outcome.”
The issue was not overly serious: “Even with the problem, there are corners where we don’t need to brake hard, so I was able to push in some fast turns, test different setups, and assist the team. I would have preferred not to have the problem, but it was manageable.”
As this was only his second official run with Haas, Hirakawa was particularly struck by the heat: “I’ve had the chance to drive with several teams earlier this season, but I haven’t experienced such high temperatures before.”
He shared his thoughts during the gravel incident: “I hoped not to stop the car, but thanks to my endurance racing experience, I managed to keep it running.”
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