How Haas plan to avoid conflict with refreshed F1 2025 line-up

Haas will make their “rules of engagement” clear to drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman before the 2025 F1 season begins.

The American outfit have a completely refreshed driver line-up for the upcoming campaign following Nico Hulkenberg’s departure to Sauber and Kevin Magnussen’s exit from F1.

Ocon has made the switch from midfield rivals Alpine and F1 rookie while Ferrari junior Bearman has earned a full-time seat to complete Haas’s new-look driver line-up for 2025.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu is set to make the ground rules clear before the season gets underway in a bit to minimise the risk of on-track drama between teammates.

It is an exciting line-up but one that has potential for fireworks given Ocon has history of getting his elbows out against his teammates and Bearman will be keen to impress in his first F1 season.

“The rules of engagement have to be totally clear from day one,” Komatsu explained.

“So that will be clarified before the first race. I don't expect any team-mate contacts, DNFs, because of that.

“You have to race hard. Look at last year – Kevin is a hard racer and then Kevin and Nico, the closest we came to an issue, which didn't become an issue, was Austria, right?

“But that's partly because we operated in a not perfect manner in terms of pitstop timing. We didn't help ourselves.

“So, as a team, we shouldn't be creating those messes. But, also, with the understanding of each other as team-mates, the rules of engagement would be perfectly clear.”

Haas have had to manage teammate tension in the past, with Magnussen and Romain Grosjean clashing during their spell together. In 2021, there was also trouble between Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

But Komatsu is confident Haas can avoid conflict with Ocon and Bearman.

“I don't think Nikita and Mick is any example to go by. If you have to go back to that combination, basically I'm in trouble,” he said.

“If you look at how we operated last year, how we can improve the team, what we did good last year, what we could have improved last year, and then take that learning for this year, it’s a completely different era in terms of dynamics and drivers.

“Honestly, with Esteban and Ollie, they are two very, very good drivers. They have both got a lot more to prove. I think we have got a very good combination and I'm really looking forward to it.”