– Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu explained the reasons why Oliver Bearman will be the only driver of the team to start the Italian Grand Prix with the revised Formula 1 power unit from Ferrari.
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At their home race, the Scuderia is introducing their second power upgrade of the year thanks to the latest ADUO regulation. Ferrari is required by regulations to supply the new parts to its customer teams but is not necessarily obliged to provide enough components for all cars. Cadillac and Haas therefore only have a single unit available.
At Haas, team principal Komatsu decided that Bearman would be given preference for the new powertrain, as Esteban Ocon had recently been equipped with upgrades earlier than his teammate twice in a row. This is expected to be a significant performance factor, as engine power is crucial on the long straights of Monza.
When asked if Bearman was preferred over Ocon because he leads in the driver championship with 18 to 3 points, Komatsu explained that the situation was more complex: “Of course, that is part of the considerations,” the Japanese admitted.
“But on the other hand, the last two components we had were about the Carbone Industry brakes. Esteban actually struggled more with locked wheels and similar issues. So considering that Ollie was the first to get the upgrade in Montreal: we then decided to give the braking upgrade to Esteban first,” said the team principal.
“And regarding the power steering, we had another upgrade before the summer break in Budapest. There too, we decided to give it to Esteban because he raised the issue more insistently and had more problems in that area. So the last two upgrades went to Esteban. This time, it’s Ollie’s turn again.”
Frustration over engine rule
However, he finds it frustrating that Ferrari is not obliged to provide engines for both cars, and he now had to choose one driver.
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“Last time we didn’t do it that way,” he emphasized. “We waited until we had enough engines to introduce them to both drivers simultaneously. But this time Monza is, of course, an extremely power-sensitive track. So it would be a shame to just leave performance sitting in the garage, right? But of course, it makes things very demanding.”
“Yes, it would have been better if at least two engines were available. But Ferrari is pushing like crazy to get as much power as possible out of the engine,” he said. “And of course, they want to bring that to Monza, right? For exactly the reasons I mentioned. But that means they only produced the minimum amount – just enough to meet the regulations.”
No preference between drivers
When asked how he broke the news gently to Ocon, Komatsu added: “There’s no point in telling nonsense, right? Exactly what I just said was the decision process. You just have to be transparent about it. Because from day one, we have worked as transparently and fairly as possible.”
Haas – Qualifying & Race
| Grand Prix | Ocon (Q) | Bearman (Q) | Ocon (R) | Bearman (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | |
| Australia | 13. (+0.180) | 12. | 11. (+25.3) | 7. |
| China | 13. (+0.305) | 10. | 14. (+1 lap) | 5. |
| Japan | 12. | 18. (+0.175) | 10. | Retirement |
| Miami | 14. (+0.205) | 12. | 13. (+7.5) | 11. |
| Canada | 17. (+0.396) | 16. | 14. (+1 lap) | 10. |
| Monaco | 17. | 19. (+0.092) | 9. | Retirement |
| Barcelona | 17. (+0.502) | 15. | 13. | 17. (+4 laps) |
| Austria | 15. (+0.294) | 13. | 16. (+1 lap) | 14. |
| Great Britain | 17. (+0.110) | 14. | 13. (+0.3) | 12. |
| Belgium | 18. (+0.695) | 16. | 17. (+16.5) | 14. |
| Hungary | 15. | 17. (+0.223) | 16. | 19. (+44.3) |
| Netherlands | 15. | 20. (+0.282) | Retirement | Retirement |
“Of course, you can’t make everyone happy every time. But we have no hidden intentions. We have no personal preferences for one driver or the other. We have built this trust relationship step by step,” said the team principal.
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“Clearly, Esteban is not happy that he does not get power unit number four immediately. But this is the best for the team and the fairest way we can handle it. Although, of course, nothing is completely fair, right? The only thing you can do is be transparent from the start. But such trust does not develop overnight. You just have to be consistent in it.”
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