Haas boss Ayao Komatsu fears that the team’s surprising lack of pace at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is not a “one-off”.

It was a wretched race weekend for the American outfit, which started with rookie Oliver Bearman crashing his VF-25 during the first practice session of 2025.

Haas finished 19th and 20th during FP1 and FP2 before going on to qualify in the same positions for the Grand Prix.

Starting from the pit lane, Bearman avoided the chaos in tricky wet-weather conditions and managed to keep his car on track to finish in 14th place on Sunday – the last of the classified competitors.

His team-mate, Esteban Ocon, finished just ahead of him after starting the race from 19th place.

After focusing on long-run pace and tyre management exploration during Bahrain pre-season testing, it was left unclear as to how Haas would compare performance-wise to the rest of the grid.

But after Friday, Komatsu revealed to Motorsport.com how he was left stunned by the Banbury-based squad’s lack of performance.

“I don’t think it’s a one-off,” he said.

“It was a big surprise, we weren’t expecting that whatsoever based on Bahrain testing.

“Bahrain testing wasn’t perfect, but we weren’t expecting it anywhere near as bad as Melbourne.

“In FP1, on a very fast lap when the car went out, I thought either something was broken or something is completely out of the ballpark.

“Then when we established, right, nothing’s broken, we’ve got a big issue.”

Haas expects high-speed corner issues to continue in 2025

The 49-year-old went on to explain how the team discovered the issue at hand and how it went about addressing its lack of performance.

”It was pretty clear the problem was in high speed, Turn 9, Turn 10,” Komatsu added.

”Then we just worked and worked to make those corners better with the expense of low speed.

”But even then, low-speed corners are okay, not great – but compared to the issue we had in Turns 9 and 10, it’s night and day.

”So then by Q1, we managed to get Turn 9 more or less respectable but Turn 10, still nowhere.

”We understand why, but with the issues we have, we cannot solve it for all corners, right?

”So I think at least we took [the] correct steps during the weekend.”

Komatsu confirmed that Haas would continue to find solutions this year instead of focusing on 2026 with the new regulations set to come into force.

He believes that the car’s problems were down to its interface with the ground at low ride heights.

However, the motorsport executive noted that Haas would have to endure challenges at several races due to the severity of the problems.

He added: ”I think that’s the best we could do with the Melbourne circuit characteristics, that our car’s weakness that we discovered in Melbourne and then characteristics of Turn 10 as a corner.

”The next point is to understand which part of the car we need to modify, or which part of the car has the sensitivity to solve this performance issue.

”So up to this point, we are reasonably clear.

”Then of course, next is, how are we going to find a solution?

Some of them can be reasonably short-term solutions, but some of them will be an iterative process, both in CFD and wind tunnel.

“So you’re not going to see a solution for some races – it’s pretty severe.”

READ MORE: How F1 Australian GP practice exposed Haas weaknesses

The post Ayao Komatsu fears Australia not a ‘one-off’ for underperforming Haas appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas suffered a difficult start to the 2025 Formula 1 season after finishing at the bottom of the timing sheets in both Friday practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix.

Haas played its cards close to its chest in pre-season testing, committing to high-fuel run plans and avoiding quali sims, a tactic that paid dividends last year.

Speaking on Thursday, Esteban Ocon was in good spirits heading into the Australian Grand Prix, noting that Haas had discovered issues in testing but had a clear path.

“I think our first two days of the test, we felt very good with the car,” Ocon told select media including Motorsport Week.

“It was very solid, I was happy with it.

“The last day was a bit more difficult for us. We know exactly where we have to improve straight away and where the strong point of the car is.

“It is very clear to us, which is a very good thing. From the first day, we’ve managed to put the finger on where we needed to improve, and that’s good.”

Despite the former Alpine driver remaining confident, the cracks began to appear for Haas in Australia.

First, Oliver Bearman crashed heavily during FP1 as he lost control of his VF-25 into the gravel trap before careering into the barriers.

The British driver wasn’t able to return to the track with his Haas car, requiring repairs, and he missed the second practice session as the team was forced to change the gearbox and engine due to extensive damage.

Ocon didn’t fare any better on the other side of the garage, finishing 19th in both Frdiay sessions, as it became apparent the Banbury-based squad had not managed to improve in the areas previously mentioned by the Frenchman.

Haas chief reflects on ‘pretty difficult day’

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu admitted that he was left surprised by the team’s showing on Friday.

“Today was a pretty difficult day; it wasn’t the performance we were expecting,” Komatsu said.

“We have one indication as to why in FP1, but Ollie crashed, so we couldn’t completely get to the bottom of why we were uncompetitive.

“So we need to make another step tonight and then do the best we can tomorrow.”

After missing out on crucial track time, Bearman offered an explanation as to why he suffered a huge shunt on the streets of Melbourne.

“It wasn’t a case of feeling, honestly,” he said.

“The feeling was good, I think just wanting a bit too much too soon.

“It is just kind of my approach isn’t the right one for F1.

“In F2, you go straight to quali after the first practice session; in F1 you have two more [practice sessions].

“So there’s no need to be straight on the limit.”

Ocon, however, was once again looking on the bright side as he felt Haas had made strides forward after the opening day.

“We did a really good step from FP1 to FP2,” the 28-year-old explained.

“Yes, it doesn’t look shiny on the timing page, that’s very true, but the car improved quite well from FP1 to FP2.

“There are still some things that we know we can find, and there is margin for us to improve.”

Given the absence of qualifying runs in testing, it remains to be seen whether Friday was a true indicator of Haas’ underlying pace, or a sign of more troubles to come.

No doubt the squad will be looking to bounce back in qualifying.

READ MORE: Is Haas ready to bounce back from testing failures?

The post How F1 Australian GP practice exposed Haas weaknesses appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has explained how Esteban Ocon is “setting the benchmark” for his rookie Formula 1 team-mate Oliver Bearman.

After two seasons with Grand Prix veterans, Haas has an all-new driver line-up for 2025 in Ocon and Bearman.

The duo is an exciting partnership for Haas, a proven winner eager for further success and an exciting rookie who stunned the world during his stand-in appearances last season.

Reflecting on their integration at Haas during pre-season testing, Komatsu revealed to select media including Motorsport Week how Ocon is setting a great example to Bearman.

“Yeah, it’s [been] really good, really good,” Komatsu said of working with his new drivers.

“Esteban’s exactly what we expected. He’s really determined, motivated, has attention to detail, working really hard with engineers. 

“[He’s] very, very easy to work with and very precise. And also the tyre management, he’s very good, [with] really good experience.

“So it’s really good that he’s kind of like setting the benchmark for Ollie in that respect. 

“Even the qualifying simulation, you saw how strong Ollie was last year in qualifying, but even then, with the new car, adapting to it, et cetera, it’s really good to have somebody like Esteban to set the benchmark.”

Ocon and Bearman ‘collaborating’ well

Komatsu didn’t stop short of just praising Ocon and hailed the approach that Bearman has applied to the step up to a permanent race drive in F1.

The Briton has the benefit of two Grands Prix and multiple FP1 appearances with Haas last year and Komatsu has enjoyed working with his rookie star,

“Ollie, again, is very good to work with,” he said.

“He’s a positive guy and then, again, hardworking, very, very open.”

Speaking of his team-mate ahead of the F1 75 season launch event, Bearman said “It’s been nice to get to know [Ocon].

“He’s of course got a lot of experience in F1 that I can take and learn from, so I’m excited for our season together.”

Of the duo’s relationship together, Komatsu added that “both of them just are collaborating very well as well.

“So far, it’s been really nice, really nice.”

With Haas widely expected to be at the forefront of F1’s midfield in 2025, having drivers in harmony will be key to the team’s success.

Both Hulkenberg and Magnussen played the team game well in 2024 and the word from Haas’ boss suggests that trend is set to continue with the team’s new line-up.

READ MORE – Haas’ line-up pits experience versus youth with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman

The post How Esteban Ocon is ‘setting the benchmark’ for Oliver Bearman at Haas appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu isn’t concerned by rookie Oliver Bearman’s limited qualifying prep during Formula 1 pre-season testing thanks to the prowess he showed in 2024.

Bearman is one of five classified rookies heading into 2025 but the 19-year-old Briton already has three GP starts under his belt.

In 2024, Bearman raced for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia as Carlos Sainz underwent treatment for appendicitis and deputised for Kevin Magnussen at Haas in Baku and Interlagos.

Those three qualifying sessions showed Komatsu all he needed in terms of Bearman’s qualifying readiness, which is why he isn’t worried that Haas’ typical testing programme focussed almost entirely on high fuel, long mileage stints.

“You saw him in qualifying last year,” Komatsu told select media including Motorsport Week. 

“I don’t think he did badly. Back then he out-qualified Nico [Hulkenberg]. 

“Interlagos, Sprint weekend, FP1, then qualifying, he out-qualified Nico as well. 

I don’t treat him as a rookie in that sense.”

True enough, when Bearman jumped into the Ferrari SF-24 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit last year, he narrowly missed out on making Q3 after just an hour of practice to get up to speed.

In Baku, Bearman qualified 11th again, this time for Haas and two places ahead of the highly-regarded one lap specialist Hulkenberg and he was able to thwart the experienced German again over a single lap in Brazil.

Bearman ‘impatient’ to unlock Haas’ one-lap potential

Bearman admitted during testing amid his programme of high-fuel running that he is getting “impatient” with regards to unlocking Haas’ one-lap potential in Melbourne.

“I’m a little impatient and want to go for it as soon as possible but I understand that this running is very important and you know this kind of strategy of using all of these laps and doing as many laps as we can really worked for the team last year and I hope it does the same again,” he said. 

“Yeah as the run goes down and we always put a new set [of tyres] on I’m really excited to see what the car can do.”

Why Haas doesn’t focus on low-fuel testing miles

Haas’ tactic of high fuel, high mileage during testing is a tactic that paid dividends before.

As Bearman said, in 2024 it helped Haas develop a car adept at tyre management, something its 2023 predecessor was catastrophically bad at.

Continuing with that methodology in this year’s pre-season testing, Komatsu explained its advantages.

“We just focused on getting answers that you cannot get during a race weekend,” he said.

“[On] race weekend you never have two sets of the same tyre compound. 

“You do low, low, high, then low, low, high, then low, low, then qualifying.

“It’s almost impossible to get answers on some test items that have a certain influence on tyre degradation and high fuel management. 

“That’s what we focused on.”

READ MORE – Why Haas isn’t treating Oliver Bearman like a ‘normal rookie’ in F1 2025

The post Why Haas isn’t concerned by Oliver Bearman’s limited qualifying runs in F1 testing appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has explained why it’s “not acceptable” to scrap 2025 Formula 1 development in favour of an early start on next year’s rules cycle, akin to a tactic the outfit employed in 2021.

In 2021, the last year of the previous regulation cycle, Komatsu and then-Team Principal Guenther Steiner agreed that the limited financial resource available at the time wasn’t worth pouring into its current generation of car.

Amid a period of stagnation for Haas, whereby it had only scored three points the year before, the team didn’t develop its 2021 car whatsoever and instead focused solely on its first-gen ground effect car for 2022.

The decision paid off and Haas went from scoring no points and finishing last in 2021, to scoring 37 and finishing seventh a year later.

Next year’s rule changes are seismic, with broad revisions coming to the power unit, chassis and aerodynamic regulations, but Haas is in a different place than it was four years ago having narrowly missed out on sixth in the Constructors’ standings in 2024.

So, even if Haas found itself a second off the pace come Melbourne in just under two week’s time, Komatsu ruled out scrapping developing the VF-25.

“That’d be pretty sudden, before going to race one,” he said. 

“But the thing is, we can’t do that anyway.

“For us, if we are in that position, we’ve got to develop better out of this car to try to catch up. 

“We’re not in a position where we can just give up on ‘25.”

Financial incentive behind Haas’ development push

Not only is Haas in a stronger position heading into 2025 than it was four years ago from a technical point of view, the team is also in a stronger position financially thanks to its title partnership with MoneyGram.

Moreover, the team’s recent technical alliance with Toyota shows Haas is an outfit on the up and Komatsu revealed that the cost of finishing last in 2025 isn’t worth any potential gains that could be gleaned from focusing on next year’s rule changes more severely.

“If we finish last this year, obviously the amount of money we lose, that’s not acceptable,” he said.

“It is very simple,” Komatsu added, acknowledging that as the season progresses, “We have a few different scenarios depending on where we are, which I agree with the owner.”

Given that wind tunnel time for 2026 development has been permitted since the start of the new year, Haas, of course, has begun developing its car for next year, but it’s a balancing gap currently tipping in the VF-25’s favour.

When it comes to what percentage of development time is currently focused on next year, Komatsu said “it’s a bit difficult to say. Obviously we started, but percentage is a bit difficult to say. 

“At the moment, maybe the simplest thing to say is we’re still focused on 25. 

“Of course we are doing 26, but the major focus is still on 25.”

READ MORE – Williams wary of Haas sandbagging during F1 2025 pre-season testing

The post Why Haas won’t resort to making F1 development sacrifice in 2025 appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has revealed that Esteban Ocon’s “determination and work ethic” are two assets that inspired him to sign him over other Formula 1 drivers.

The American squad will embark upon the upcoming campaign – the team’s 10th in F1 – with a revamped driver line-up as Ocon partners Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman.

Haas was consigned to a change occurring last April when the anticipated news broke that Nico Hulkenberg would be moving on to Sauber as it prepares to transition into Audi.

But while Bearman, who deputised at two races last season, was soon announced to be stepping up to fill that void, Haas had several options to slot alongside the Briton.

Valtteri Bottas, who has since lost his drive with Sauber, divulged that talks had taken place with Komatsu, while Kevin Magnussen was also in the running to retain his position.

However, Ocon’s decision to end his long association with Alpine saw him become Haas’ leading target and the move was announced even prior to the summer break.

Komatsu has insisted Ocon’s experience, having made 156 starts, combined with his age made him the ideal candidate to help it build upon its sixth-place finish last season.

“I wanted someone still young,” Komatsu told RacingNews365. “Young and experienced. Esteban was 27 [years of age] when I signed him, so still very young.

“And yes, he’s got podiums, he’s scored so many points, but I think he’s still got lots to improve [on] as well.

“So I wanted somebody hungry, but a known quantity and young enough. But determination and work ethic was the big thing [for me], because we’re such a small team.

“We’ve still got lots of areas in the process and methodology that is lacking.”

Haas has replaced Hulkenberg traits

Hulkenberg moving to a potential midfield rival has been viewed as a sizeable loss to Haas, with the German responsible for 41 of the 57 points that the squad scored in 2024.

But Komatsu believes that, in Ocon, Haas has replaced the best traits that Hulkenberg brought to the table, including the relentless will to push the team to improve in all areas.

“What Nico did very well, was really driving that, being a part of the centre of the team; driving, development direction, being part of discussions about how we should develop the car,” he added.

“I wanted somebody to do that actively, rather than just turning up on the race weekend and driving, or turning up to a simulator session when we ask him to.

“I just wanted somebody who is very driven by himself, determined to improve himself, improve the team, just non-stop. And Esteban’s that kind of character.”

READ MORE – Haas hire ex-Alpine engineer to strengthen Toyota F1 alliance

The post Haas details choice to take Esteban Ocon over other F1 drivers appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas will continue using the Formula 1 Ferrari wind tunnel despite forming a technical alliance with Toyota.

Haas entered a technical alliance with Toyota last Autumn with the deal bringing several benefits to the smallest team on the F1 grid.

Toyota has helped bring support to a TPC [Testing of Previous Car] programme and will be developing an in-loop simulator for the team.

One thing Toyota won’t be providing to Haas, however, is its Cologne wind tunnel, or rather, Haas has opted to continue using Ferrari’s facility.

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has explained Haas has a “win-win situation” in continuing to use Ferrari’s facility.

“For the foreseeable future, we have no plans to move out of the Maranello wind tunnel,” Komatsu explained (via Autosport).

“For me, it’s a win-win situation.

“Because us and Ferrari are of course fighting in the same championship, so whatever specific issue you have on your wind tunnel hardware, which is related to the specifics of the [ground effect] regulations in this generation, Ferrari is doing the research, they are addressing it, so we take the benefit without us doing the research.

“I don’t see any point in us moving out of the Maranello simulator to go to the Toyota wind tunnel which currently doesn’t have [a ‘rubberised’ floor]. 

“OK, Andretti is using it, but they’re not competing in F1 yet.”

Toyota wind tunnel out of date

Cadillac isn’t alone in having used Toyota’s Cologne wind tunnel, which was a mainstay of the Japanese marque’s F1 team in the early 21st century.

It was considered a state-of-the-art tool then thanks to using Particle Image Velocimetry over smoke to visualise airflow and several teams used the Toyota wind tunnel after the marque left F1 in 2009.

McLaren employed use of the facility for a decade, wrapping up its deal with Toyota in 2023 to move into its own bespoke facility.

McLaren has benefitted from having one of the best wind tunnels in F1 and it’s no wonder the team has wrought a Constructors’ title from the move.

Ferrari has also reaped benefits from redeveloping its wind tunnel facility, including adding a rubberised rolling road to better mimic track surfaces, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ standings in 2024.

So there’s little sense in Haas moving into an outdated Toyota facility or adding another country to its multi-national effort.

Haas simply doesn’t have the time and money to set up an aerodynamic team in Cologne, Germany, or commute to and from its bases in the UK, Italy and the USA.

Changes coming to Haas

According to Autosport, Haas is on the lookout for a new UK HQ in order to “rationalise performance work currently split between the US, the UK and Italy.”

This will also include the simulator Toyota is developing for Haas, which will expand its sim-based operations.

Currently, Haas is limited to a handful of simulator testing days using Ferrari’s tool in Maranello and Komatsu is excited that that is set to change.

“If you look at the simulator, last year we did definitely not more than 15 days,” said Komatsu.

“What other teams only do 15 days of simulator running?

“During the race weekend, we don’t do any simulator running at all. Again, I think everybody else does.

“So all of those capabilities, we haven’t got. And if we have got the simulator in Maranello, that is the only simulator that we have access to. We simply cannot do it.

“We have to send people from here because the Maranello office is largely designed for not directly operational performance people. So that is why having the simulator here in terms of efficiency would be night and day.”

READ MORE – Haas hire ex-Alpine engineer to strengthen Toyota F1 alliance

The post Why Haas is choosing Ferrari wind tunnel over Toyota facility appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has asserted that the team must expand its existing workforce to avoid members enduring a “breakdown” during the Formula 1 season.

The American outfit finished seventh in the Constructors’ Standings last season in Komatsu’s debut season as team boss – its best championship result since 2018.

The result is even more impressive when it is appreciated that Haas beat more established rivals with a smaller working contingent, despite making recent additions.

In comparison, Williams, which finished below Haas in last season’s championship, now boasts 1000 team members through the rebuild that James Vowles is leading.

Komatsu has expressed that he takes pride in the collective work ethic at Haas, but he warned that demanding such effort isn’t “sustainable” over a 24-round calendar.

“I don’t think so, because look at the numbers – 330 people, it’s nowhere,” Komatsu told Racer.com.

“What is amazing about this team is we’re asking a lot from everyone – people are doing one or two or three jobs.

“The TPC [in Jerez earlier this month], it was so smooth, no issues, everything on time, like we’ve been doing it for five years.

“But that’s only because people go the extra mile, being proactive and thinking ahead.

“But I feel bad, I can’t rely on that as a baseline, that’s not sustainable. We cannot drive people to a breakdown.

“We have to increase the resource capability so we can achieve those things without feeling like you’re going to collapse.

“Every time we try to improve, the minute you think I’m stabilised, we’re doing more, we’re making improvements. It’s challenging for everyone.”

Haas targets sixth place in 2025

Haas will have a new line-up in 2025 as Nico Hulkenberg has headed to Sauber as it prepares to morph into Audi, while Kevin Magnussen’s contract wasn’t renewed.

Instead, Esteban Ocon, a long-time Alpine stalwart, and rookie Oliver Bearman, who has been touted as a future Ferrari driver, will head the team’s charge this season.

The Kannapolis-based squad’s endeavours to improve in the upcoming campaign will be boosted as it will operate at the cost cap without owner Gene Haas investing.

Komatsu has said that such developments, coupled with the team’s improvement last term, have provided it with added motivation as it targets sixth place in 2025.

“Yes people are motivated because all those things (recruitment and budget) are positive, they can see the team moving forward – that’s why they go the extra mile,” he continued.

“But at the same time, we as top management, need to make sure we provide an environment and resource which is sustainable.

“Still so many things we need to do.

“We finished P7 – we talked about this year’s target.

“Yes, the target is P6, but we haven’t achieved that consistent result, so even fighting for P6, P7, fighting for the same position that would be a huge achievement.”

Komatsu ‘pleasantly surprised’ by Gene Haas praise

Haas appeared on course to clinch that target last season until Alpine’s resurgence – which included a double podium in Brazil – saw the Anglo-French marque edge ahead.

Nevertheless, Gene Haas applauded the team’s efforts despite the disappointment once the chequered flag dropped in Abu Dhabi, which came as a surprise to Komatsu.

“Gene was very happy at the end of last season,” he recalled.

“Honestly, I thought he’d be unhappy that we couldn’t get P6, but [in Abu Dhabi] I finished the race and then said thank you to the guys, and by the time I walked out of the back of the garage, I already had a message from Gene congratulating us.

“So that was a that was very nice to hear

“So I called him and straight away he just said ‘Many congratulations, it’s an amazing achievement’.

“Which honestly you don’t get often from Gene at all!

“So I was pleasantly really surprised and grateful about his comments.

“But of course, he’s very competitive, he wants more of course.

“So, yes, he’s sitting there, always pushing me to set an ambitious target, but my job is really trying to set a realistic target.”

READ MORE: Haas reveals boost that will also provide a challenge in F1 2025

The post Ayao Komatsu: Haas F1 team in need of an expansion to avoid a staff ‘collapse’ appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has revealed the team will operate at Formula 1‘s cost cap for the first time ever in 2025, but he warned that also presents a new challenge.

The Kannapolis-based squad has seen a rise in revenue via sponsors and a seventh-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship, its highest placing since 2018.

This combination has enabled Haas to now run to F1’s $135 million cap without Gene Haas, the eponymous owner who has bankrolled the team since its inception.

But as Haas aims to build on a promising last campaign, Komatsu has warned that the American outfit will have to be prudent to ensure it avoids exceeding the limit.

“This year is the first time that as a company, Gene doesn’t have to put his own money in,” Komatsu, who replaced Guenther Steiner prior to last season, divulged.

“We haven’t been hitting the budget cap, we are hitting it this year. So we have a different challenge of making sure we stay within the budget cap.

“It’s great that we finally got here, but in terms of mindset, it’s the same thing—like trackside engineering, we really had to change the mindset of everyone, what is acceptable and what we have to strive for.

“It’s the same with this budget thing. Before, if we were under the budget cap, if we had money, we could spend it without worrying about it.

“Now we have to make sure we stay within the budget cap. So it’s a whole different mindset. But if you want to be competitive, that’s minimum where you should be.”

Haas model has aided financial improvement

Komatsu highlighted that Haas’ unique setup has also enabled the achievement, with the team outsourcing production of certain parts elsewhere, including Ferrari.

“This approach helps the team remain competitive despite its limited in-house resources. Some of it is obvious, right? Maranello and also the external manufacturing, etc,” he added.

“But we made some improvements last year. We are making more improvements this year, so we’ve got to be more efficient.

“All those notional values [are set]. But at the moment, let’s say for the foreseeable future – when I say foreseeable future, like next few years at least –

even with the notional value deficiency, with the capabilities and resource we have got, that’s the best way to go.”

Reaching cost cap a huge achievement for F1’s smallest squad

With the number of staff less than half of the majority of teams on the grid, Haas has consistently struggled and achieved well in comparison, and the reaching of the cap is perhaps its greatest achievement, and to some, a possible vindication of Haas’ decision to place Komatsu in the top role.

Haas’ difference of opinion with Steiner over the direction of the team and the methods to progress were the catalyst for the decision to not reward the Italian with a new contract, handing the reins over to Komatsu.

2024 saw a mini regeneration, with the team scoring multiple points-scoring race finishes with experienced pair Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at the wheel.

It narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the Constructors’ standings after Alpine’s upturn in fortunes late on in the season.

The team had more reasons to be happy, with the announcement in September that it has begun a technical partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing, which will work alongside its pre-existing relationship with Ferrari.

READ MORE – Haas makes ‘huge’ F1 personnel changes in bid to ‘step up’ trackside operations

The post Haas reveals boost that will also provide a challenge in F1 2025 appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has insisted that the team won’t be treating Oliver Bearman as a rookie in 2025, despite the upcoming season representing his first in Formula 1.

Bearman is among five newcomers on this season’s grid, but he stands as the most experienced in that crop having competed in three races during the recent campaign.

The Briton raced to an impressive seventh on debut in Saudi Arabia when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz dropping out with an eventual appendicitis diagnosis saw him called upon.

Bearman backed up that with another point in Baku as the banned Kevin Magnussen’s replacement at Haas, while he also drove in the Dane’s place at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Along with those stand-in appearances, Bearman amassed more mileage in the seven FP1 sessions that he appeared in last term, six with Haas and one with Ferrari.

Komatsu has admitted Bearman slotting into a permanent seat more prepared than a traditional rookie will impact how the team manages his maiden campaign in the sport.

“We’re not really treating him as a rookie driver,” he said via Mirror F1. “He’s got such a mature head on his shoulders, and he can offer a lot with his young age.

“He’s got lots of experience and of course he’s been exposed to the Ferrari side of things as well, so he’s been learning a lot pretty quickly.

“So in terms of development stages, he’s not like a normal rookie and he’s already got a lot to offer for us, pushing us, pointing to us what we need to improve on as a team, but in the right way, so we’re really excited about that.”

Bearman won’t be shoved into support role

A revised line-up at Haas will see Bearman partner the much more established Esteban Ocon, a one-time race winner with 156 starts to his name since debuting in 2016.

But Komatsu has denied that the vast gap in experience that exists between the pair will prompt Ocon to be prioritised as its team leader once the season begins in March.

“Honestly, we don’t have a lead driver or non-lead driver, we just work as a team,” he stated.

“I’d like to think that both of them push and challenge each other in a good way and then push the team forward together.

“We don’t set out saying like, ‘Oh, Esteban, because of his experience, he’s the team leader’. Both of them bring different positives to the table.”

Haas not concerned about intra-team rivalry

There has been the perception that Ocon’s record when it comes to clashing with team-mates could cause Haas a headache as Bearman aspires to prove his credentials.

However, Komatsu isn’t concerned about his drivers coming to blows and believes that the internal competition between them will serve to be an asset that benefits the team.

“I think [Bearman] will be fine,” the Japanese team boss expressed. “I’m not worried about his competitiveness. I think they push each other in a good way.

“I think what we’re looking for from Oli is – he’s only done two races with us, plus one race at Ferrari – so that consistency across many races. It’s a tough season, right?

“It’s very different being a full-time F1 driver to perform week in, week out, keep that consistency, keep the drive, drive the team together, etc.

“So we’re looking for that kind of consistency and determination to push the team forward as well as himself.”

READ MORE – Haas denies future Ferrari F1 recall for Oliver Bearman would be ‘frustrating’

The post Why Haas isn’t treating Oliver Bearman like a ‘normal rookie’ in F1 2025 appeared first on Motorsport Week.