During his FP1 session at the Mexico Grand Prix, Ferrari protege Oliver Bearman left a strong impression on the Haas team with a flawless performance, marking his first public appearance in a Formula 1 car.
Director of engineering Ayao Komatsu says that the Englishman, who had a run in a two-year Ferrari SF21 as part of his preparation for his race weekend debut, “didn’t put a foot wrong.”
Bearman finished the session in 15th position, trailing his teammate Nico Hulkenberg by three places and a mere 0.3 seconds. Hulkenberg, who was celebrating his 200th Grand Prix in Mexico, seemed to be impressed by Bearman’s performance. Team Principal Komatsu commended Bearman’s professionalism and ease of collaboration, emphasizing that there was little to fault in his approach from the initial preparation onwards.
“He handled every single step of the process flawlessly. There’s nothing to complain about in his approach. Today, he remained calm and comprehended the objectives for each run. He executed his tasks without any mistakes. While neither he nor Nico achieved their best times during the soft lap, it’s challenging to draw conclusions from that. During his FP1
In terms of communication and feedback, he engaged effectively with his engineers and did an exceptional job. We are very impressed. Honestly, there hasn’t been a moment of frustration or difficulty throughout the entire preparation, including his management. Working with him and his management team has been a smooth and delightful experience.”
When asked if the 18-year-old had exceeded expectations, Komatsu confirmed that he had indeed surpassed them. He stated, “I don’t think you can expect much better. And certainly, he exceeded my expectations as well. It’s not that my expectations were low, but his performance was incredibly professional. He didn’t make any mistakes, and the quality of his communication and feedback was exceptional. So, in all honesty, I have no complaints. It was a truly impressive FP1.”