Komatsu is sure Bearman will be a Ferrari driver in the future
Ahead of the upcoming season, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu insists that the team's junior driver Oliver Bearman has every potential to become a Ferrari driver in the future.
Born in London and raised in Chelmsford, Bearman kicked off his racing career with karting aged seven. Having won several national and continental titles, he graduated to junior formulae in 2020.
The British driver won his first title at the 2021 Italian F4 Championship, also winning the ADAC F4 Championship that year, both with Van Amersfoort. He then competed in FIA Formula 3 in 2022, finishing third in his rookie season with Prema. Bearman progressed to FIA Formula 2 in 2023, finishing sixth that year and winning several races across two seasons.
Bearman became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022, and fulfilled the role of the reserve driver for both Ferrari and Haas in 2024.
He substituted for Carlos Sainz Jr. in Saudi Arabia—making his Formula One debut—and for Kevin Magnussen in Azerbaijan and São Paulo, becoming the youngest-ever driver to compete for Ferrari at the former.
The 19-year-old driver will join Haas as a full-time driver in 2025 alongside Esteban Ocon, having secured a two-year contract with the American outfit.
Speaking of Bearman's qualities, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu insisted that Bearman’s maturity and adaptability will help him find his place at the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Ollie has shown enough in terms of potential, but what interested me most is that he really understood his role. He learned what the team wanted to achieve, when the team transmits the information to him he is able to make changes and correct himself.
"I can’t believe he’s 18 years old, and I see him as a future Ferrari driver. I don’t consider him a novice and we don’t treat him as such, because we pay close attention to what he has to say.
"He has a good experience, thanks to his training in Ferrari, and he drove the VF-23 and the VF-24. Every time he got into the car his feedback and approach were excellent," concluded Komatsu.
