Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has warned Oliver Bearman not to get caught out by a trait he shares with Formula 1 veteran Fernando Alonso.
Bearman has made an impressive start to his first full season in F1.
The Briton has scored three top-10 finishes in five rounds and took an unfancied top-10 result in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
At just 19, Bearman has had to contend with a Haas machine that struggles with high-speed corners, plus help integrate a fast-tracked floor package in Japan.
Komatsu has noticed amid this impressive start to life in F1, that Bearman has an uncanny ability to drive around issues, but the young Brit must be aware that he is doing so.
“He has [a particular driving style], but he still can drive around it,” Komatsu told The Race.
“This is a very strong part of him. But if he is not careful, that could be the problem as well, because sometimes he doesn’t even know that he’s driving around it.”
Komatsu linked this trait to one held by Alonso, whom the Haas boss worked with at Renault.
“[Bearman] is just highly, highly capable,” Komatsu continued.
“So, we just need to work with that. That’s not necessarily his fault. It’s actually amazing that he can drive around it, like Fernando Alonso.
“When I used to work with him a long time ago [at Renault], he could do that. But he complains a lot about the car in FP1, FP2, then in FP3 he realises, ‘OK, this is what I got. I drive around it’.
“But Ollie’s a rookie. Fernando Alonso is already a world champion.
“He [Bearman] certainly has the ability to be able to do that. Not many drivers can. So that’s a good thing to have.
“You are talking really fine tuning. So he’s amazing to work with, really enjoying it.”
Komatsu hails Bearman’s F1 approach
Komatsu’s assessment of Bearman is glowing, and his further remarks prove he’s delighted with the Haas F1 rookie.
“He’s always open to suggestions, looking at evidence, and then seeing what he can learn,” he said.
The Haas boss went on to describe how Bearman’s approach is key to succeeding in F1.
“If you don’t have that curiosity, hunger to learn, you’ve got no chance in this kind of environment,” he explained.
“Another dimension is I don’t think you should underestimate the positivity he adds to the team.
“He’s such a positive character. His body language is positive. His tone of voice is positive. He really lifts people up.
“Then when he is disappointed, the way he conducts himself in a debrief is not too depressive.
“Yes, he says he could have done better. If he’s not happy with the car, he tells you he’s not happy with the car.
“But he says it with a body language, tone of the voice, that is not doom and gloom.
“There’s a lot to be said about that. For the people around him, he is quite uplifting. He’s actually a very good guy to motivate people.”
A prospect of the Ferrari driver academy, Bearman’s pathway is clear.
After all, he made his debut in F1 with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last year.
As Bearman continues to impress, it’s easy to see him stepping into Lewis Hamilton’s seat when the veteran Briton decides to hang up his gloves.
With comparisons to Alonso, there’s little doubt that Bearman would do a fine job with Ferrari in the future, but Komatsu isn’t too concerned of losing his new asset just yet.
“I have to sometimes remind myself that he is still a rookie,” he said.
“But we’ve got him solid for a certain period of time.
“And if [losing him] is a worry it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
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