Haas explain the true value of signing Esteban Ocon

Haas believes it has the potential to “grow together” with one-time grand prix winner Esteban Ocon after bringing him on board to lead the team in 2025.

Ocon and Ferrari protege Oliver Bearman form an all-new line-up at Haas this year, with the American squad having parted ways with both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg after 2024.

Ocon brings with him more than seven years of F1 experience, including the knowledge of working with a factory team like Alpine.

Given Haas is the smallest team on the grid, having an experienced driver is crucial for its growth and success.

In the past, Haas has benefitted from having Magnussen, Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean in the team, but as it charts a new path under the leadership of Ayao Komatsu, Ocon is seen as the next driver who can help it scale new heights.

Komatsu feels the 28-year-old has already shown that he can bring the whole squad together, citing the role he played in boosting morale during a disastrous season opener in Australia.
 
“Really, again, his work ethic [impressed us],” he said. “We know he's quick. He's a proven quantity.

“He's a race finisher, scored so many points, but he's still very young and very determined for more success in Formula 1. He's someone that we can grow together with.

“Especially when we have a car problem like we had in Melbourne, to have a driver like that fully integrated into the team, driving the engineers — doesn't matter how much time he needs to spend with them — he's really eager to improve it together.

“That makes a huge difference for the team. So that's what I expected and that's exactly what we are seeing. Very pleased about that.

Komatsu has also been encouraged by how Bearman has performed at the start of his first full season in F1.

After helping Haas score a double points result in China with an eight-place finish, he also made it into the points at Suzuka last weekend.

“I’m very impressed [by him],” said Komatsu. “But that's already what we knew. We knew he was capable of that.

“Melbourne was a bit of a surprise to us, but we believed in his ability. We had a decent conversation in Melbourne and also before we started running in Shanghai. 

"We basically said: ‘Look, you've got the talent, you've got everything you need to perform, you just have to do every single lap we plan to do this weekend.’ Which is exactly what he's done.

“He chipped away on every single step and learned every single run and then the performance on Sunday was amazing. That’s the Ollie we know. Like [Andrea] Kimi [Antonelli], he's got a lot more potential and growth to offer, so really enjoy working with him.”

Haas currently holds sixth place in the constructors’ championship, with Ocon’s fifth-place finish in China being the team’s best result so far in 2025.