Komatsu compares Bearman to Alonso: "Few drivers are capable of it"

After five first races as a regular driver, Oliver Bearman is having a season full of twists and turns with Haas. Far from the idyll linking him to the Team During a Grand Prix at the start of last season, the Briton continues to learn. Alternating between performances that put him at the back of the pack and those that allowed him to climb into the points, he already has six points in the general classification, one more than Isack Hadjar or Carlos Sainz.

AlongsideEsteban OconOllie Bearman is one of the completely remodeled duos on the grid. In this particular context, Ayao Komatsu, the Haas team principal, gave his first impressions of his young rookie. For The Race, the Japanese driver warned his driver about the potential setbacks related to one of his greatest qualities. Able to adapt to his car in all circumstances, Bearman reminds him of another driver he knew in the past.

"It's a very important part of him. But if he's not careful, it could also be a problem, because sometimes he doesn't even realize he's getting around it, warns Ayao Komatsu. He's just extremely competent. So you have to deal with that. It's not necessarily his fault. It's actually amazing that he can handle it, like Fernando Alonso"

Bearman also progresses thanks to Ocon

“When I worked with him a long time ago (Ayao Komatsu knew Fernando Alonso when he was driving for Renault. Editor’s note), he could do that. He complains a lot about the car in FP1 and FP2, then in FP3 he realizes, 'OK, this is what I've got. I'm driving it.'" not failing to temper the ardor regarding this comparison. "Ollie is a rookie. Fernando Alonso is already a world champion. He has the ability to do this. Not many drivers are capable of that. So it's a good thing."

Capable nevertheless of participating in the development of the car, the young Briton would have largely taken Esteban Ocon as an example regarding the way in which the Frenchman provided feedback to the team's engineers, according to the American team director. Clearly in search of constant learning, Oliver Bearman has many times been cited among the greatest hopes of British motorsport in recent years.

Agile and prone to adapting since his arrival at Haas, the player will see part of his progression come from a clear team objective this year: to position himself as a credible competitor for fifth place in the constructors' standings.

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