Ayao Komatsu has highlighted Ollie Bearman’s ability to motivate people around him as an “important quality” he has brought to Haas, with the young Briton one of the standout performers of 2026 so far.
Bearman finished at the top of the midfield in both Australia and China, as well as scoring in the Sprint in Shanghai, and despite not finishing in Japan the 20-year-old remains seventh in the standings with 17 points.
But, while his on-track confidence is growing week after week, Haas Team Principal Komatsu has found more to praise than just Bearman’s results.
“He takes steps every single time,” said Komatsu during the Team Representatives press conference in Suzuka. “You saw how much he improved throughout last year, right?
“As we said, his speed’s never been in doubt. Then you saw the consistency improvement towards the end of last year. Mexico, P4, was amazing under huge pressure.
“Then pre-season testing throughout, working with the engineers, mechanics, feedback, all the quality has improved. If you look at the first two races, he hardly made any mistakes.
“It’s just the way he can absorb the information, understand the bigger picture, he’s able to articulate it, digest, apply, all these qualities you need to be a top driver, he’s got it.”
Bearman has come a long way since making his sudden F1 debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when he stepped in for Carlos Sainz at the last minute for Ferrari as the Spaniard was laid low with appendicitis. The Briton impressed immediately as he bagged points with an admirable seventh-place in the race despite being drafted in at short notice.
He went on to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025 for Haas, and wound up bagging the team’s best result across that season with his stellar fourth in Mexico City.
But while Bearman’s on-track capabilities are becoming clear to many, Komatsu wanted to draw attention to the young Briton’s ability behind the scenes as well.
“The thing is that his attitude is very, very positive, so he brings the best out of people around him as well, engineers, mechanics, everyone,” Komatsu continued.
“That’s a very important quality. Even when [a] less than ideal situation happens, the way he deals with it, he actually doesn’t depress people, he actually motivates people to be able to solve the problem quicker. So that’s a natural attribute he’s got.
“We already enjoy working with him and, at the moment, I can’t see the ceiling, so that’s the exciting part.”
