Incoming Haas Components 1 driver Ollie Bearman has already made vital impressions on the American squad regarding his “maturity” and “capacity to know the larger image”.
That is the view of staff principal Ayao Komatsu, who has signed Bearman to race alongside Esteban Ocon in an all-new 2025 Haas driver line-up.
Ferrari junior Bearman, who has been impressing Haas since he made a rookie apply look in Mexico final 12 months, was capable of present how he may deal with the assorted pressures of contesting a race weekend for a midfield staff concerned in an in depth championship battle [with RB] throughout his newest one-off race this 12 months rather than the banned Kevin Magnussen in Azerbaijan.
Having completed seventh for Ferrari whereas changing the appendicitis-addled Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia firstly of the season, Bearman scored one other level with tenth in Baku.
When requested by Autosport if he had been shocked by this return given Components 2 driver Bearman’s lack of expertise on the prime degree, Komatsu insisted: “I am not shocked.
“However this isn’t to take something away from Ollie. I am not shocked as a result of I’ve seen a lot great things with him within the FP1s that that is what I anticipated.
“The very first time he drove for us in Mexico FP1 [in 2023] – what actually impressed me was his capacity to know the larger image – perceive the position he must play, what he must execute [and] when. And in addition how shortly he can study.
Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
“For Baku, the target was very totally different. [It’s a] completely totally different mindset throughout the entire race weekend [compared to just practice outings], however by way of what he did – what he executed, how shortly he discovered – that is all the things I noticed in from Mexico the very first time we ran him in FP1.
“Yeah, after all, FP3 [where Bearman crashed on his first push lap in Baku] was a setback.
“In order that’s one factor I did not know – how he was going to take care of the setback like that.
“However then once more, he was actually good, managed to then change and be centered, return to what he’d completed properly on Friday, after which hit the Q1 like that. In order that was good.
“It is spectacular. However that is what I anticipated.”
Komatsu additionally hailed Bearman’s “maturity” when requested to swap positions with momentary team-mate Nico Hulkenberg through the first Baku race stint – because the Briton was lapping too slowly obeying Haas’s directions on tyre administration, when Hulkenberg was exhibiting the tyres may maintain a shock more durable tempo on the difficult avenue circuit.
“What he confirmed within the race after we needed to ask swap positions through the first stint, after which… he wasn’t pleased,” Komatsu added. “Which I can completely perceive why.
“However then, although he was sad about it, he simply did it.
“He did not then not let Nico by, after which delayed it for one more lap or two. So once more, that simply reveals the maturity, proper? It is nice.
Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
Bearman’s Baku level got here after he nipped previous Hulkenberg within the aftermath of Sainz and Sergio Perez crashing late on – the place the lead Haas driver did not react to a green flag marker board after passing the incident and hitting particles, when the next Lewis Hamilton did.
Bearman following the Mercedes previous Hulkenberg confirmed his “consciousness and quietness”, per Komatsu.
“That is one other factor – he is all the time calm, even when he is upset or going through the adversity,” he added.
“He is simply very calm, and even that yellow flag state of affairs in direction of the top of the race with the large accident, numerous particles – however once more he was calm.
“He had a presence of thoughts to say, ‘okay, Nico’s not on it’ [and] simply went.”
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