Haas boss not deterred by Bearman's lacklustre 2024

Jul.1 (GMM) The boss of Haas says he won’t let Oliver Bearman’s difficult season in Formula 2 sway his selection process for the team’s 2025 driver lineup.

Most paddock insiders believe the Ferrari-promoted British teenager’s graduation to a full-time F1 seat next year is effectively already a done deal.

That is despite the fact that Bearman, who impressed when filling in for the ill Carlos Sainz at Ferrari earlier this year and is in the midst of an intense Friday practice program with Haas, is a mere P14 in the Formula 2 standings for the top Prema team.

His Prema teammate Kimi Antonelli, widely expected to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, is faring little better with P9 and zero wins so far.

As for Bearman, Haas boss Ayao Komatsu says he will not be swayed by Bearman’s difficult F2 campaign.

“I place much more importance on how he works with us,” he told Ekstra Bladet newspaper at the Austrian GP.

“We have enough F1 sessions to look at him. Last week he drove F1 with us, then debriefing and off he went to F2 qualifying. It’s just one lap and not how you should prepare for F2 obviously,” the Japanese insisted.

Komatsu also says he does not blame Bearman and Antonelli for their tough F2 campaigns.

“I have no idea what problems Prema has with the car under the new rules,” he said. “I hear a little, but unless you know all the details, you can easily jump to the wrong conclusions. I am more focused on what is under our control.

“Of course it would be easier if he just won everything, but that is not the reality. So you have to trust the information you have. And the bigger picture is what happened in Saudi Arabia, for example,” said Komatsu, referring to Bearman’s debut F1 points on debut in Sainz’s seat.