Oliver Bearman has not even begun his tenure as a driver for Haas, but team boss Ayao Komatsu already has a future destination in mind for the Brit. According to the Japanese manager, Bearman is a future Ferrari driver. “If Ollie performs well, Ferrari cannot ignore him,” explains Komatsu.
Oliver Bearman is about to embark on his first full season in Formula 1. The young driver particularly impressed during his stand-in for Carlos Sainz Jr in Saudi Arabia last year, scoring points on his debut in a Ferrari. Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu, therefore, sees the Brit potentially driving for the Italian team.
“We have him on loan for at least two years,” the Japanese manager confirms to the media. “Two plus one. If we do well and Ollie does well, Ferrari cannot ignore him. But the fact that we are certain of him for two years, provided nothing happens with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, is fantastic.””If we make improvements together so that Ferrari is ready to have Ollie in their car by the end of 2026, it should be a compliment to us,” said Komatsu. The Japanese sees Bearman moving to Ferrari after his time at Haas. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen respectively have contracts with the Scuderia until 2026 and 2027.
Impressive Bearman
Komatsu further states that he is very impressed with Bearman, especially after the Brit’s stand-in performances in Jeddah and Baku. “With Ollie, it’s not just about his speed, but everything. I could hardly believe he was only eighteen,” he said. The team boss therefore admitted earlier that he would not treat the driver as a ‘normal rookie’ in 2025. “Every time he gets in the car, his feedback is excellent, his approach is excellent, and his speed is amazing,” Komatsu concludes.
