The unseen Haas teamwork that powered Bearman’s breakthrough in Mexico

In the middle phase of the race, just before the second pit stop, the Australian found himself stuck behind the Frenchman, unable to make a move right away and losing a few valuable seconds — time that ultimately proved crucial in allowing Bearman to keep his position at the finish.

“I defended on Oscar, trying to protect Ollie,” the Frenchman told media after the race. “I made him lose quite a few seconds with that fight, between four to six, so that was quite good.

He finally added: “Overall the car was working super well. I’m happy with our performance this weekend and our learning. Obviously it didn’t smile to us — the luck — every session, but I think we can be pleased with what we did.”

Speaking after the race, the Frenchman accused the Japanese driver of moving under braking and ruining his qualifying, though he admitted it wasn’t Tsunoda’s fault.

Ocon added that the incident cost him several seconds stuck in traffic during the opening stint, which partly compromised his race. Once in clean air, however, he was able to impose his pace, crossing the line in ninth and securing a double points finish for Haas.