The 2025 Formula 1 season is fast approaching, and teams are busy preparing for the battles ahead. Recently, I had the opportunity to witness Haas F1 Team shake down their new car at Silverstone. With Esteban Ocon behind the wheel, it was an interesting day of testing, adjustments, and unexpected incidents.

A Day of Testing and Adjustments

Haas began their session with an out lap before bringing the car back into the garage for setup changes. This process took around 30–60 minutes, which is typical during early shakedown runs as teams fine-tune settings before pushing the car harder on track.

Once the car returned to the circuit for a few laps, I noticed something unusual. From my position at Hamilton Straight, I didn't hear or see any signs of an incident, but when Esteban brought the car back into the pit lane, it became clear that part of the side pod was damaged. In my opinion, it looked like the side pod had come loose and torn off somewhere around the track.

Shortly after, a rescue vehicle set off to recover the missing part. From my vantage point, I could see the team working behind the cover of the garage, taping the side pod back together. After about an hour of repairs, Esteban was back on track with the car fully reassembled.

He ran 5–6 more laps before returning to the pits again. This time, it was clear that Haas was starting to push the car further. On his next run, I noticed a change in Esteban’s driving—he was using the curbs more aggressively, something he hadn't done earlier in the session.

New Parts and Performance Observations

Later in the day, Haas fitted a new, all-carbon fiber front wing. From the look of it, this seemed like a brand-new part undergoing early testing. The team also trialed other new components, including an updated rear wing, revised side pods, and new air intakes.

The session wrapped up at around 4:30 PM, with the Haas looking competitive. While it’s still early days, based on what I saw, the car showed some promising pace on track.

Important Notice – Image Usage

If you are interested in using my photographs from this event, please contact me directly. Do not steal or use my images without permission I take my work seriously, and unauthorized use of my photography is not something I appreciate. If you would like to discuss licensing, feel free to reach out.

Final Thoughts

It was a fascinating day at Silverstone, watching Haas put their new machine through its paces. Of course, all the details in this blog are purely my observations from trackside, and I look forward to seeing how the car evolves as the season begins.

If you want to see more of my motorsport / automotive photography work, follow me on social media. Or if you would like to work together on any future projects, please see the contact information below.

📸 Instagram: @camhardy_photo
Linkedin: Cameron Hardy

Contact information
Email - cameronhardyphoto@outlook.com
Phone Number - 0114 470 1505