Haas announces strict rules for Ocon and Bearman in 2025

The 2025 season promises to be heated at Haas. The American team, which has seen its drivers clash in the past, is making it a priority to avoid tensions between its two new drivers: Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman. After years of internal conflicts, notably with Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean in 2019, then Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in 2021, Haas wants to change direction. “The rules of engagement must be completely clear from day one. This will be clarified before the first race,” declares Ayao Komatsu, the team’s director, in a press release. The team’s objective? Avoid on-track confrontations and create a more harmonious working environment. “I don’t expect there to be contacts between teammates, nor for there to be retirements because of that,” he insists, while clarifying that he has nothing against racing battles, as long as they remain within reasonable limits.

A promising but closely watched alliance

Esteban Ocon arrives at Haas with a heavy baggage of past conflicts. His relationships with teammates at Force India and Alpine have often been tense, especially with Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and Pierre Gasly. Ayao Komatsu, however, seems confident: « Esteban and Ollie, they are two very, very good drivers. They both have a lot to prove, but it’s funny that Ollie is a rookie, I don’t treat him like a rookie ». The attention given to his feedback and his development within the team, especially after his remarkable performances at Baku and Interlagos, is a testament to that. « He can contribute a lot to these young engineers too, they will grow together ».

Having taken the reins of the team since last season, Komatsu wants to break away from past dynamics. In 2021, the rivalry between his two drivers was a constant point of friction for the team. But the team director does not intend to focus on this bygone period. “I don’t look very far back, until 2021,” he explains. “We learned from last year what we did well and what we could have improved.” For him, the 2024 season with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, although marked by only one incident during the Austrian Grand Prix, shows that a more serene management of internal relationships is possible: “But it’s partly because we didn’t act perfectly in terms of timing the pit stops,” he notes.

In 2025, fewer conflicts, more performance

At Haas, the priority is to make the car work well, but also the harmony between the drivers. Komatsu does not want to relive the chaotic scenes of the past: « As a team, we should not create such problems. By understanding each other as teammates, the rules of engagement would be perfectly clear ». The team is placing a lot of hope in its driver duo for 2025. The experience of Ocon, combined with the youth of Bearman, could be a winning cocktail for Haas to make the most of this combination without internal drama. Komatsu is convinced: « We have a very good combination. I am really looking forward to it. »