Fifth overall, Oliver Bearman is the big surprise of the Formula 1 season so far – Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu explains what makes him so valuable
The 2026 championship standings are full of surprises behind the top four. Behind the previously strong Mercedes and Ferrari, fifth place is not occupied by world champion Lando Norris or Max Verstappen, but by Oliver Bearman in Haas.
The Briton has already collected 17 points in two weekends, single-handedly ensuring that Haas is also currently fourth in the constructors’ standings – team-mate Esteban Ocon, on the other hand, has not yet contributed any points.
“It was a good start,” laughs Bearman, who finished seventh in Australia, eighth in the Shanghai sprint and then fifth in the race. “I’m really happy with that.”
He praises: “The car was reliable and the car was also really fast, so we were able to score some good points.” However, the Brit is aware that some teams such as McLaren and Red Bull are still having problems, so it is important for him to score points right now before the competition overtakes him again.
Because one thing is also clear to him: “I don’t expect to stay in fifth place.”
At the moment, however, Bearman is something like the shooting star of the season – it is therefore hardly surprising that he is regarded as a future Ferrari driver, especially as he was also sponsored by the Scuderia as a Ferrari Junior. He was allowed to make his debut as a regular driver with engine partner Haas in 2025 and was also able to beat his experienced team-mate there.
For team boss Ayao Komatsu, Bearman is certainly a stroke of luck. He is particularly impressed by how much the youngster has improved since his debut: “He actually makes a leap every time,” he praises. “His basic speed was never in doubt. Then you saw the improvement in consistency towards the end of last year.”
The reward was, among other things, a fourth place in Mexico, which underlined Bearman’s talent. “After that, the cooperation with the engineers and mechanics, the feedback and the overall quality improved throughout the pre-season tests,” Komatsu continues. “And if you look at the first two races, he’s hardly made any mistakes.”
“It’s just the way he absorbs information and understands the big picture; he can articulate it, process it and implement it,” he continues. “He has all these qualities that you need to be a top driver.”
What is also important for Komatsu: Bearman also brings a positive attitude, which also drives his entire team environment. “Even when there are less than ideal situations, he deals with them in such a way that he doesn’t put people down, but on the contrary motivates them to solve the problem more quickly. That’s a natural talent of his,“ says Komatsu.
”We’re already really enjoying working with him and at the moment I don’t see any limit to the top – that’s the exciting part.”