Haas entered the Canadian Grand Prix weekend with optimism after introducing important updates to its VF-26, including changes aimed at improving aerodynamic stability and overall downforce generation.

But instead of immediately moving forward, the American team found itself trapped in a frustrating cycle of setup changes and unpredictable handling issues around Montreal’s notoriously bumpy circuit.

“We’ve been chasing our tail all weekend really.” — Ollie Bearman after qualifying in Montreal

Montreal Exposed Haas’ Weakest Characteristics

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of Formula 1’s most unforgiving tracks when it comes to ride quality and mechanical balance. Aggressive kerbs, heavy braking zones and constant surface changes punish cars that lack stability.

According to Bearman, Haas struggled throughout the weekend to find a setup that balanced outright pace with drivability. Every adjustment appeared to create a new issue elsewhere on the car.

The young British driver explained that the upgraded package potentially offered more performance, but also made the VF-26 significantly more difficult to drive at the limit.

A Car That Became Harder To Trust

Bearman revealed that qualifying was the first moment all weekend where he finally felt capable of properly attacking braking zones and traction areas.

Until then, Haas had spent much of the event experimenting with suspension settings and setup directions in an attempt to place the car in a more usable operating window.

The problem, however, was that every compromise came with consequences. Softer settings improved drivability but hurt corner entry behaviour, while stiffer configurations increased instability over bumps and kerbs.

Haas appeared caught between raw performance and basic drivability throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

The Upgrades Still Show Potential

Despite the frustration, Bearman suggested the underlying performance of the update package may still be encouraging once Haas better understands how to extract it consistently.

The team introduced revised sidepods and a new floor in Canada, aiming to stabilise airflow underneath the car and increase aerodynamic efficiency. Early signs suggest the package may offer additional pace — but only if the setup can be properly controlled.

That leaves Haas facing a familiar Formula 1 challenge: unlocking performance without sacrificing driver confidence.

A Difficult But Important Weekend For Haas

Midfield Formula 1 teams often rely heavily on upgrade packages to close performance gaps during the season, making weekends like Montreal especially important.

While the final result was disappointing, Haas may still leave Canada with valuable information about the behaviour of its new package under extreme circuit conditions.

For Bearman, the weekend ultimately became less about immediate results and more about understanding the limits of a car that suddenly became far more sensitive than expected.