F1

Ayao Komatsu is convinced that Ollie Bearman will be a Ferrari driver in the future

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu is convinced that Ollie Bearman will become a Ferrari F1 driver in the next few years.

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Ollie Bearman on signing for Haas.
© Haas / Ollie Bearman on signing for Haas.

Haas team principal, Ayao Komatsu, is adamant: Ollie Bearman is destined to become a Formula 1 driver for Ferrari.

This week, the Italian team began its collaboration with Lewis Hamilton, but Ollie Bearman, also British and a member of the Ferrari driver training program, starts this season as a full-time F1 driver with Haas.

Ayao Komatsu confident about Ollie Bearman's future

Loaned to Haas after impressive performances in the FP1 sessions with the Banbury-based team in 2023 and 2024, the young 19-year-old driver also replaced Carlos Sainz during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when the Spaniard had to miss out due to appendicitis. Ollie Bearman exceeded expectations by finishing seventh, earning him widespread praise.

Ayao Komatsu, for his part, claims he has never doubted Ollie Bearman's abilities, right from his debut with Haas during the FP1 at the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix. Asked by Autosport about the chances of Ollie Bearman becoming a future Ferrari driver, Ayao Komatsu replied: « Yes. He is a Ferrari driver, and we have him for two years, with an option for an additional year. But if we do a good job and Ollie does a good job, Ferrari will not be able to ignore him. »

The Japanese added: « It's funny to consider Ollie as a rookie because I don't treat him as such. We pay a lot of attention to what he has to say. Of course, he has a solid background thanks to Ferrari's training, the simulator, etc. And he has already driven our cars – the VF-23 and the VF-24. Every time he gets in the car, his feedback is excellent. His approach is excellent and his speed is remarkable. »

Notable performances

The Haas boss also highlighted Ollie Bearman's performances in qualifying at Baku and Interlagos, where he outpaced Nico Hülkenberg, who was the benchmark at Haas at the time.

Ayao Komatsu said he was impressed by Ollie Bearman's technical feedback and his professional attitude, which puts aside any desire to demonstrate his raw speed to focus on the team's programs.

The Haas director now wishes to closely follow Ollie Bearman's progress and plans to meet with Ferrari to discuss how the team will monitor his development: « I am sure Ferrari wants regular feedback. In fact, I will meet them at the beginning of February to understand exactly the type of feedback they expect. But I also want to give them my feedback, as Ferrari has played a crucial role in Ollie's career. They know him better than we do, and any help from them would be beneficial. »

Ayao Komatsu concluded by stating that he wishes to work closely with the Ferrari officials who have supported the young driver.

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