Esteban Ocon experienced mixed emotions after qualifying for the Baku Grand Prix, where he missed Q3 due to a yellow flag on his final flying lap in Q2.
The Haas driver, who had shown signs of improvement with 12th place in FP3 and 10th in Q1, was on track to set a time good enough to advance to Q3. However, a yellow flag forced him to slow down exiting turn 15, costing him three to four tenths of a second and dropping him to 14th place.
“Unbelievable, we had a car for Q3 today,” Ocon said. “I don’t know who went off track, but I had to lift to avoid a penalty. I lost three, four tenths. I have no words.”
The Frenchman also spoke about the challenges of his season with the Haas VF-26, marked by aerodynamic issues and technical setbacks. “It’s a different race weekend, but it’s always the same story. There’s always something wrong, whether it’s the car or something else,” he added.
Despite his frustration, Ocon emphasized that the car was the best he’s had this year, though it still wasn’t enough to consistently fight in the top 10. He called for a strong race performance to make up for the disappointment.