Haas encounters 'more serious' reliability setback during 2026 shakedown testing

Haas's second day of 2026 Formula 1 shakedown testing in Barcelona was disrupted by two reliability issues with its VF-26 car, one of which team principal Ayao Komatsu described as "more serious." Rookie driver Oliver Bearman's running was cut short, though the team highlighted operational progress from its first day on track.

Why it matters:

Reliability problems during these limited, secretive pre-season shakedowns are critical red flags for any team, especially one like Haas that is looking to rebuild its competitive foundation. Early issues can derail development programs and consume precious resources needed for performance gains, making their swift resolution paramount ahead of the new regulatory era in 2026.

The details:

• The American team was conducting its second of three permitted test days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
• Bearman experienced two separate issues: one in the morning session that was repaired over lunch, and a second, more significant problem in the afternoon that ended his running early.
• Team principal Ayao Komatsu noted clear operational improvements over the first test day but confirmed the afternoon's fault requires deeper analysis. He emphasized the silver lining that such issues are being discovered early in the pre-season program.
• Despite the setbacks, Bearman provided positive initial feedback on the 2026-spec car, calling it more agile and nimble due to reduced weight under the new regulations and noting the powerful feeling of the full hybrid system.

What's next:

Haas must now decide whether to use its final allotted shakedown day on Thursday or Friday. The team's immediate focus will be diagnosing and resolving the afternoon's reliability fault to ensure it can maximize its remaining track time for data collection and driver acclimatization before the official pre-season tests next year.