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

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Esteban Ocon has revealed the preparation that he has received in the build-up to his debut campaign with Haas in Formula 1 in 2025 has exceeded his initial expectations.

Ocon is embarking upon a new chapter in his career with Haas in 2025 having parted with the Renault-owned Alpine side he had been associated with since 2020 last term.

The Frenchman departed the Anglo-French marque with a round to go, enabling him to participate in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi with his new side’s 2024-spec VF-24.

Last month, Ocon conducted a shakedown at Silverstone with the VF-25, Haas’ 2025 challenger which he and team-mate Oliver Bearman drove in the sole pre-season test.

But with restricted running available to the drivers during testing, Haas was among the teams that took pre-emptive measures in advance with an outing in a previous car.

The Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) scheme permits mileage in machines older than two seasons, which Haas utilised to give both drivers laps in the 2023 VF-23 at Jerez.

The American squad’s inaugural TPC run derived from an alliance with Toyota, the Japanese marque now providing technical support to the sport’s smallest organisation.

Ocon, who had not been informed about the partnership when he signed with the team, divulged that his adaptation at Haas has been more seamless than he envisaged.

Asked whether he had discovered surprises in his opening weeks with Haas, Ocon told select media including Motorsport Week: “Yeah, yeah, there’s been.

“I’m not going to go into details, but I was obviously thinking that we were going to be more restricted on my preparation, not being able to prepare as well as we did. 

“And we’ve been able to get the needs and what I needed. So yeah, all fine.”

Ocon pleased with Haas baseline in 2025

Haas is bidding to build on a promising season last time around which culminated in a three-place rise to seventh, though it sat as high as sixth with two rounds remaining. 

Despite the team placing an emphasis on long runs in testing, Ocon divulged that he could feel that the VF-25 is an improvement on the predecessor he piloted in December.

“Yeah, obviously very good to get a first feel,” he said. “I drove in Silverstone, but unfortunately it was snowing there so it wasn’t really the condition that we hoped for.

“But yeah, finally got to drive the car for the first time. There’s a lot of positive points that are better than what I remember in Abu Dhabi, clearly.

“So that’s obviously very positive, but very quickly we’ve spotted where we need to get a little bit more, where we need to improve the car and that’s obviously what I told Ollie and the team.

“And it’s also been good to be working in real conditions with the team, with the traffic, with how it would run on a normal race weekend with all the tools etc.”

READ MORE – The ‘late Christmas present’ Haas delivered to Esteban Ocon

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Esteban Ocon has stated that “no one” can currently use the wearable cooling devices that will be compulsory as part of Formula 1’s new regulations for 2026.

The devices, that pumps cooling fluid through tubes via a box in the car which are attached to a vest worn by the driver, are optional for the 2025 season, due to the way they are retrofitted to the current cars.

From 2026, the brand-new regulations will see the devices hooked-up through new electrical systems, and therefore will be a mandatory part of the drivers’ in-car clothing.

But Ocon, speaking to media including Motorsport Week in Bahrain during this week’s pre-season testing schedule, said the current design and set-up of the devices are not conducive to both driver and car.

“At the moment we can’t use the cooling vest, I think no one can. That’s the reality of it,” he said.

“The tubes are too big, so you have the tubes all around, that’s fine; you have the tubes in the back, that’s fine. But there is a massive tennis ball on the side, so on your hip, so if you put it here, it’s hurting with the belts.

“If you put it in the back, you can’t fit in the seat. If you put it on the side, you can’t fit in the seat .So yeah, at the moment it doesn’t work for us, or at least what I’ve tried.

“And from what I heard from other drivers, it’s very similar. As long as we don’t go into a Qatar situation, we should be okay to drive, that’s what I believe.

“It’s good that FIA has been able to provide us a solution and come up with something. But at the moment I can’t use it, at least. I’m not talking for the others, but myself and Ollie [Bearman], we can’t use it.”

The devices are thought to be fitted onto the cars by teams as per an obligation of when the ambient temperature will reach 31 degrees, as per FIA rules, but Ocon still believes that, until a solution is reached, saying he “[reckons] nobody’s in a position to use it” in its present format.

“I think, you know, [I’m] happy to have the system on board and add the weight, and if we don’t want to use it, we don’t use it,” he added.

“But at the moment we can’t use it, so it’s not like if I’m just being a diva and I don’t want to use it. It would be the opposite, actually. I would want to use it, if that was the case.

“So, no, it’s just that it’s not fitting.”

Ocon says Haas ‘focusing on the right things’ with curtain-opener weeks away

The F1 season is now just two weeks away, and Ocon appears content in his new surroundings, having joined the American squad from Alpine in the off-season.

The Frenchman put himself in the top 10 of the running order for the first and only time in the week’s running in the final session of the programme, having been towards the foot of the classification as the team tried various different strategies to maximise its knowledge of the car before travelling to Melbourne for the first round.

Asked whether the team’s package has the potential to surprise its rivals in the midfield, Ocon said: “We will see. Until we obviously go flat out in qualifying in Melbourne, we are not going to know if we will surprise the others or not, but what I know is that we are focussing on the right things.

“We spotted what the weaknesses of the car are, where the strong points are, and that’s the most important for us, so yes, of course you’re always eager to see what this car can do compared to the others, but it’s not necessarily the right moment to be doing that, and I agree with the team and the aims of what they are trying to achieve here. 

“There is a time for everything, let’s call it.”

READ MORE – The ‘late Christmas present’ Haas delivered to Esteban Ocon

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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

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Haas driver Esteban Ocon was “lucky enough” to be in Maranello as Lewis Hamilton made his Ferrari Formula 1 debut.

Hamilton arrived in Maranello for the first time as a Ferrari driver last week, meeting his new colleagues before completing 30 laps of the Fiorano test circuit last Wednesday.

His “dream” realised becoming a Ferrari driver was met with 100s of rampant Tifosi descending on Maranello to catch a glimpse of Hamilton.

Among them was Ocon, who revealed he was in Maranello conducting simulator running with his new team Haas. 

“I was lucky enough to be in the same place on the same day because I was also at the Ferrari simulator,” Ocon told Canal+’s ‘La Boîte A Questions’.

“There was a crazy atmosphere, people were going crazy and it’s just wonderful to see that there’s so much passion for Ferrari, for F1 of course, in the world and that it’s growing all the time.

“It’s clear that to have the greatest driver of our generation in the most successful team is just something crazy. So yeah, I can’t wait to be able to fight on track with him, that’s for sure.”

Haas enjoys a close relationship with Ferrari which includes a power unit, gearbox and suspension supply.

The team also employs the use of the Ferrari sim, which limits its simulator running throughout the season per F1’s regulations.

Luckily for Haas, its technical alliance with Toyota will bring the smallest team on the F1 grid its own simulator.

Hamilton reflects on historic moment

Ocon’s remarks upon seeing “the greatest driver of our generation in the most successful team” speak to the magnitude of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

That wasn’t lost on the man himself who said after his first laps at Fiorano that “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time was one of the best feelings of my life.

“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face,” he added. 

“It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again.

“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi!

“But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring.

“That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it. I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started.”

Hamilton’s Ferrari preparations continued this week at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya but his running was interrupted by a crash in the final sector of the Spanish Grand Prix circuit.

Hamilton will remain in Spain until next week to participate in a Pirelli 2026 tyre test.

READ MORE – Toto Wolff: Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari like ‘seeing your divorced partner with a new friend’

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Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has disclosed that its new Formula 1 partnership with Toyota was not a factor that he used to persuade Esteban Ocon to sign for the team.

Haas announced on Friday that it has entered a technical alliance with Toyota which will see the Japanese marque’s emblem return to F1 for the first time since 2009.

READ MORE: Haas reveals F1 technical alliance with Toyota

The American outfit will be able to utilise Toyota’s Cologne wind tunnel, aerodynamic expertise and design and manufacturing capabilities as part of the arrangement.

Toyota’s tentative comeback will also see it provide Haas with a simulator at its Banbury base as F1’s newest side endeavours to continue rising up the pecking order.

Haas’ tie-up with a huge automotive brand comes as the team prepares to field a revised driver line-up as Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman will partner Ocon next term.

Ocon, who will end a long association with Alpine to move to Haas, expressed that his relationship with Komatsu at the Enstone-based squad held a role in his choice.

“Obviously I have a very long history with Ayao, who’s been my first race engineer in Formula 1 and he’s convinced me of his plan on where they want to head to.

“I’ve got the same goal as they have, so it is fantastic to finally be teaming up.”

Haas avoided making promises in Ocon talks

Komatsu, though, has denied that Toyota was brought up during his talks with Ocon as he wanted to avoid making assurances that were not set in stone at that point.

Asked whether the alliance with the manufacturer was involved in his sales pitch to the Frenchman, Komatsu told media including Motorsport Week: “Not specifically.

“I did say to him we have a development plan to take this team forward and to make a reasonable step change, if you like.

“But the point where I was trying to finalise Esteban’s contract which was around Austria time, it was too early for me to guarantee anything to Esteban.

“I never wanted to tell Esteban something that I cannot guarantee and then he signed from that understanding, and then I cannot tell Esteban three months later ‘sorry mate, I couldn’t make it happen’.

“He signed with the understanding that there’s a vision to take this team forward, and instead of being specific about this technical partnership, I told him how we are planning to develop the team, and then he was very much on board with that idea.”

READ MORE: Toyota tentatively stepping back into F1: No PU plans at Haas

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Esteban Ocon has admitted Alpine has a “tough” task to beat Williams to eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship across the closing Formula 1 races in 2024.

Alpine will venture into the remaining six rounds languishing a disappointing ninth in the standings amid a poor campaign which has delivered 13 points in 18 events.

The Enstone-based squad conceded that it was poised to endure a slow start and that materialised as the revamped A524 was the slowest car in the nascent stages.

But while glimpses of a revival were evident with four consecutive points finishes during the summer, Alpine has since recorded a meagre two points in seven rounds.

Alpine’s recent dip in competitiveness has coincided with Williams introducing upgrades that culminated in a double points haul at last month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

With the Anglo-French marque now three points behind and the momentum with Williams, Ocon has acknowledged that Alpine is up against it to retrieve eighth place.

“It’s going to be difficult, for sure,” Ocon assessed post-race in Singapore, where he wound up a lap down in 13th place.

“Williams are on a very upward trajectory on their side. They’ve been very quick all season and probably quicker than us most times.

“At the moment, we are ninth obviously in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s reflecting a bit on the car’s performance unfortunately.

“The whole team is trying their best to try and improve the situation, but it’s going to be a tough one to try and recover.

“We haven’t given up, obviously. We are giving our best until the end of the year.”

Ocon has expressed that continuous issues with his car in recent races have provided a tough experience which he hopes will be averted once the campaign restarts.

“It’s been full of problems and issues,” he reviewed.

“We just want to be able to build something good and get some fun at the wheel for me, which is the most important [thing] and something I didn’t have for a while.”

Ocon eager to end Alpine stint on a high

The Frenchman, who will end his long-serving association with the side to move to Haas in 2025, is eager to ensure his stint with Alpine concludes on a positive note.

“Even if it’s been difficult, I’m not giving up,” he insisted. “I still want to finish the chapter with this team on a high. It hasn’t gone the way I would’ve liked.

“At the moment it’s a pretty sad end, unfortunately, but hopefully we can catch things up and be on the better end for the remainder of the season.”

READ MORE: Alpine spy late-season boost with ‘out-of-sync’ F1 development

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