Bearman climbs—overtaking problem flagged
Rising talent Oliver Bearman sits fifth in the drivers' standings after a string of top‑10s, underlining an impressively consistent start to the year (x.com). He also noted Racing Bulls' VCARB 03 is one of the hardest cars to overtake this season — a technical advantage teams will chase (motorsport.com).
After two rounds Bearman has 17 championship points, earned with a P7 in the Australian Grand Prix on March 8 and a P5 in the Chinese Grand Prix on March 15. (formula1.com)) He started the Shanghai Grand Prix from P10, surged to sixth on the opening lap, took evasive action after contact with Isack Hadjar and recovered to a fifth‑place finish that scored 10 points for the race. (haasf1team.com)) Bearman has supplied all of Haas’s 17 points so far this season while team‑mate Esteban Ocon has yet to score, leaving Haas fourth in the constructors fight after round two. (motorsport.com)) Racing Bulls put the VCARB 03 through a public shakedown at Imola after unveiling its livery in Detroit on January 15, marking the first on‑track running of the 2026 chassis. (f1place.com)) Technical analysis of the VCARB 03 identifies unusually high top speeds on the straights — attributed to how Racing Bulls operate the Red Bull–Ford power unit — which has made it notably difficult to pass in the early races. (autosport.com)) Photographs and reports from the shakedown highlight a larger, hooded airbox and additional support legs beneath the inlet plus a redistributed cooling layout between the centreline and sidepods. (planetf1.com)) Racing Bulls line up Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad in the VCARB 03, and pundits including Gary Anderson say the car’s details already demand close study from rival teams and Red Bull affiliates. (en.wikipedia.org))
