Why Haas might not be the ideal team for Oliver Bearman according to Mark Webber
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Doubts about Ayao Komatsu
Surprisingly stepping in for Gunther Steiner at the start of 2024, Ayao Komatsu has proven to be strong enough to handle the pressure in the delicate role of team principal, leading the team to a remarkable seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship, which is valuable for the ambitions and finances of the American team.
The Japanese engineer, who served as trackside engineering director under Gene Haas for the past eight seasons, managed to reorganize a team that, up until the eve of the Bahrain GP, was viewed by all as the Cinderella of the championship due to last season's poor results. Much of the credit goes to Nico Hulkenberg, who, after returning to Formula 1 in 2023, has displayed impressive competitiveness and consistency, convincing Audi’s leadership to invest heavily in him ahead of their debut in 2026.
In contrast, Kevin Magnussen’s season has been very disappointing, having collected only a quarter of his teammate’s points. He will once again leave the top class in Abu Dhabi to make way for an eager Oliver Bearman, who will finally have the chance to debut in Formula 1 as an official driver.
The British driver has already shown great potential this year, taking advantage of Carlos Sainz’s appendicitis operation in Jeddah and the Danish driver's race ban in Baku to score his first career points in two different cars.
However, despite the results currently favoring Ayao Komatsu, Mark Webber has doubts about whether the Japanese engineer possesses the right leadership qualities to guide Oliver Bearman’s integration into Haas in such a competitive and demanding Formula 1 environment.
"I don't like that team," the Australian began on the Formula For Success podcast, hosted by Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard – "It's like Eddie Jordan, Andrea Stella, these people, even Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, are racers. You need that. Leadership, when you're losing your virginity in Formula 1, is a very important role regarding team management." – the former Formula 1 driver explained – "Oliver Bearman seems really fast. He did well in Saudi Arabia with Ferrari. But young drivers, as we see, are not a finishing school. If they take the oxygen mask off at the top of Everest, we'll see how it goes." – the Australian added.
Source: f1ingenerale
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