Haas started the 2026 Formula 1 season with performance above expectations and is already aiming for higher grid positions. One of the highlights is the young Oliver Bearman, currently seventh in the championship, after having surpassed Esteban Ocon last year. The team principal, Ayao Komatsu, highlighted the British driver’s progress:
Read more Lawson says he wants to try new categories and dismisses F1 distraction: «It doesn’t harm»
“He improves every time,” he said. “You saw how much he improved throughout last year, right? As we said, his speed was never in doubt. And we saw the improvement in consistency at the end of last year. In Mexico, P4 was incredible under huge pressure. Then, in pre-season testing, working with engineers, mechanics, feedback, all the quality improved. If you look at the first two races, he practically made no mistakes.”
“It’s the way he absorbs information, understands the big picture, can articulate, digest, apply — all those qualities a top driver needs, he has. The fact is his attitude is very, very positive, so he also brings out the best in the people around him, engineers, mechanics, everyone. That is a very important quality.”
“Even when some less ideal situation happens, the way he handles it doesn’t discourage people; in fact, he motivates them to solve the problem faster. That is a natural characteristic of his,” the team principal added. “We already enjoy working with him and, at the moment, I can’t see a limit for him, and that’s the exciting part.”
Despite the good results, Haas still recognizes its financial limitations compared to bigger teams like Ferrari and others at the top of Formula 1. Since its debut in 2016, the team has sought to maximize its resources to remain competitive: “I think it’s the overall unity of the team. As everyone here knows, preparing for this new regulation has been a huge challenge, and for us, being the smallest team, this challenge was even greater,” Komatsu said.
Read more Antonelli sees himself «stronger and in control» in second year in F1
“But we managed to complete every important stage: the shakedown, Barcelona, Bahrain 1 and 2, and so on. We may not have some of the off-track tools that bigger teams have. So, what we need to learn on track is huge and we have to do it very, very fast. We know what we are lacking, we know what we can do, so we are obviously working in parallel. One, obviously, making the most of what we have, but at the same time we are in the process of installing a simulator in Banbury, along with other tools.”
“Therefore, I think the development race will be very tough, but at least to start, our car has a decent characteristic, it’s a very good base, so we know the direction is right. It’s just a matter of finding enough performance to keep up with the others,” he concluded.
Currently, Haas occupies fourth place in the constructors’ championship, with 18 points accumulated.
Read more F1: Ex-driver warns Red Bull suffers over departure of other important people
