The impressive debut
After his first three Formula 1 races last season, two of which he finished in the points, including a 7th-place finish in Saudi Arabia driving for Ferrari, Oliver Bearman is now in his first full season as an official driver. A rookie who grew up in the Ferrari Driver Academy, he has impressed in all five of the current season’s races, beginning with Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu.
The comparison
In an interview with Marca, the Japanese Team Principal praised his young talent, but not only that. Analyzing Oliver Bearman’s driving style, Ayao Komatsu noticed similarities between the 19-year-old and Fernando Alonso, the two-time world champion with whom he worked during Fernando Alonso’s early successes at Renault: “He has a particular driving style, but he knows how to adapt to the car,” said Ayao Komatsu, referring to Ollie Bearman. “It’s a strength, but if he’s not careful, it can also be a problem, because sometimes he doesn’t even realize he’s pushing the car’s limits. He’s very capable, so we have to work on that. It’s not necessarily his fault; it’s incredible that he can do it, just like Fernando Alonso.”
Going into more detail about this comparison, Ayao Komatsu recalled his early days with Alonso at Renault and how the abilities described are very similar: “When I worked with him, he could do that,” he added. “He would complain a lot about the car in FP1, FP2, and FP3, then he would realize that was the car he had and would drive it as he wanted. Oliver is a rookie. Fernando is already a world champion. Oliver has the ability to do it, not many drivers can do that, so it’s a positive thing. It’s a very precise setup, so he’s a fantastic guy to work with, I really like him.” – the Haas team principal concluded.
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