The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix saw Haas record its fourth consecutive race without scoring a single Formula 1 point, following a start to the season that had shown some promise. However, it has been clear for several races now that the American team has been outdeveloped by most of its rivals, starting with Racing Bulls and Audi, which are now battling it out with Alpine for points.
As such, hopes of a strong showing were not particularly high ahead of the Spa race, especially for Esteban Ocon, who has been plagued by performance issues with his VF-26. But, the fact that the two drivers made contact on the first lap – which resulted in the Frenchman running off the track and both suffering punctures – did not help matters.
