Ollie Bearman has shared insights into the steep learning curve of his debut Formula 1 campaign with Haas, detailing how he adapted to a significantly expanded technical role within the team.
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Bearman entered the 2025 F1 season with three standout performances under his belt. By the end of his rookie year, he had edged ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon by three points and two positions in the standings, finishing 13th. His 2026 season has continued to impress.
In a recent video released by the Haas F1 team, the Briton reflected on his initial season with the American squad. The transition from Formula 2 to F1 represented a massive shift for Bearman, not only in terms of the car—far different from his Prema machinery—but also due to the team’s scale.
“It was a big year for myself,” Bearman stated. “And I think it’s probably the most learning that I’ll ever do in a year because it’s my first time stepping into Formula 1 and the first time and the last time that I ever have that experience.”
He continued: “I matured a lot. I’ve gone from a team in F2 with 20 people coming to the track. Of course, the team was very big back at the factory, but trackside there were 20 people and now that number is tripled at least. And of course, we also have almost 400 staff back at home. So, you know, the team has grown exponentially.”
In junior categories, a driver’s primary task is speed. In F1, however, car development relies heavily on driver feedback—a fundamental shift Bearman had to recalibrate for.
“The developments we make on the car directly come as an influence of what we’re saying as drivers,” he explained. “I think it’s not necessarily a big weight. You need to understand that that’s your role because I was not in that role ever before, and it’s tough to assume it automatically. It takes a while. And I think I took the position well, but it’s not overnight that it happens and it definitely took a good few races to understand my position within the team, and that position is very different to what it is in lower categories.”
“Now I’m someone who’s more outgoing, less afraid to speak up and to give my opinion. Because I think it’s tough to feel like your opinion will be valued straight away. It’s just natural that you’re coming in as a kid basically and you need to earn that in a way.”
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
The strongest stretch of his rookie season came from Zandvoort onward. He fought from the pitlane to sixth place, then delivered five consecutive points-scoring races. In Mexico, he claimed fourth—a joint-best result for a driver under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership.
The 2026 season introduces major regulation changes, which Bearman is still navigating. “I still have a lot to learn. And for example, this is my first regulation change and some of my competitors have been through two or three or four of them. So this will also be a very new experience for me and that excites me because it’s a great opportunity to learn and, hopefully throughout my career, there’ll be lots of these changes,” he said.
“It means that I’ve been there for a while. So, it’s certainly still a great opportunity. I feel like everything I’ve learned last year, I can take that forward. And there’s a lot that I can, let’s say, add to my armoury of learning in terms of learnings from 2026 as well. That’s for sure.”
While not his immediate target for this year, Bearman stated without hesitation: “My goal in