The third race of the season took us to one of the most iconic circuits on the racing calendar, Suzuka. Located on Japan’s main island of Honshu, Suzuka is known for its high speeds and unique figure-eight layout, providing a real test of a driver’s skill and confidence.
Practice
Practice across the weekend was complicated and frequently interrupted by the outbreak of fires around the circuit. Ollie got things underway in FP1, leading the cars out on track in his cherry blossom-themed car, a nod to Japan’s famous Sakura season. Ollie returned to his garage at the end of the first lap with the team working on the car.
The second and third sessions were chaotic, with multiple grass fires ignited by sparks from the cars, as well as several crashes and spins among various drivers on the track. Of the scheduled one hour for the second session, only 20 minutes were spent on the track due to these disruptions.
Qualifying
In the opening qualifying session, Ollie burst onto the scene with an impressive pace. The Haas team was quick to get both cars on the track, and Ollie capitalised on the early grip available from the soft tyres - sitting P5 at one point. As the session wrapped up, he secured a solid P12, successfully advancing to Q2 ahead of his teammate, who ended the session in P18.
In a flying lap of the second qualifying session, Ollie pulled the car into P8 and catapulted himself into the third and final session for the first time. The final session saw Ollie running in P8 with just three minutes to go. With new tyres added, it was time to push. Ollie qualified in P10 marking Haas’ first top-ten start at Suzuka since 2019 and Ollie’s strongest qualifying session of the season so far.
The Race
Lining up in P10, Ollie started the Grand Prix on medium compound tyres, holding his ground off the line. As the first pit stops unfolded, around the 20-lap mark, he found himself up in P7. A slightly slower-than-planned pitstop dropped him back to P16, but his pace remained strong, quickly climbing up the field.
By Lap 25, Ollie was back in the mix and by Lap 40, he had fought his way into P10, holding on to the final points-paying position. With Alex Albon’s Williams ahead and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin looming in his mirrors, it was a tense race to the end. But Ollie kept calm and defended like a seasoned pro, bringing it home in P10 and claiming a well-earned point for the team and himself.
Looking Ahead
That point brings Ollie to twelfth in the Drivers’ Championship, just three races into his rookie season and, impressively, with only one fellow rookie ahead of him. The team stands sixth in the Constructor’s Championship, with momentum hopefully building at just the right time.
Following the first in a triple header of races, next, Ollie heads to the Middle East for the Bahrain Grand Prix on 11-13 April.
