For the first time in his F1 career, Esteban Ocon won’t be the younger driver in his team’s lineup. Kicking off his new stint with Haas in 2025, the Frenchman will have a rookie teammate in Oliver Bearman and while Ocon has had his fair share of conflicts with teammates in the past, it seems like he may get on well with the Briton.
The 19-year-old has got a lot of spotlight on him already ever since he debuted last season in a surprise cameo for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian GP. Scoring points as a substitute for Carlos Sainz, Bearman grabbed many teams’ attention, but Haas already had an eye on him.
Ocon feels the British prodigy is quite promising and showered praise on him, based on the initial interactions the two have had so far. “It was great to know Ollie. He is a great prospect of the future for Formula 1,” he told talkSPORT.
Given the impressive performances Bearman put up last season for Haas and Ferrari, Ocon’s praise does have substance. One would expect a young driver like Bearman to lack technical aptitude in motorsports, but Ocon has asserted that isn’t the case.
“He is very competitive for sure,” the 28-year-old added. “We talk a lot about technical things, a lot about Formula 1 already. He is very impressive on the technical knowledge.”
HAPPY HAAS BOYS
On stage at the O2 were Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, and Ayao Komatsu revealed their new livery on stage at tonight’s F1 Season Launch.
PIC: Getty Images#f1 #formula1 #f1news #f1content #estebanOcon#oliverbearman pic.twitter.com/4x7Fd474JI— Kym Illman (@KymIllman) February 19, 2025
Given Haas would always need feedback from both of its drivers to progress further, Ocon having a technically sound teammate like Bearman would come in handy for the American outfit. And if he can back up that knowledge with results on track, Haas’ investment in the British prodigy would pay off massively.
As for the camaraderie between Ocon and Bearman, the Frenchman is quite impressed with his teammate’s “fun” character off the track. “He’s a very fun guy outside of the car,” he said.
The new Haas duo’s off-track relationship is going to be crucial for breaking Ocon’s pattern of rough teammate dynamics.
Can Ocon avoid a repeat of his past with Bearman?
There has hardly been a teammate in Ocon’s F1 career, with whom the #31 driver hasn’t had any skirmishes. His stint at Racing Point-Force India saw him lock horns with Sergio Perez often. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso also faced a rocky dynamic with the Frenchman, especially in 2022.
And Ocon’s old rivalry with Pierre Gasly is quite well-documented. By those standards, the two French drivers did not have as many incidents in their two-year stint as Alpine teammates. With Ocon moving to a new team and having a new teammate, will he avoid ruining his dynamics with another driver?
As things stand, it seems quite possible. Firstly, Ocon isn’t looking to save his seat or look to stamp his authority at Haas. The 2021 Hungarian GP winner will be the lead driver for the American outfit and Bearman will look to learn from his much more experienced teammate.
Is a line-up of Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon for 2025 Haas’ best F1 driver pairing yet? pic.twitter.com/XZNsHZysWj
— Autosport (@autosport) July 25, 2024
Secondly, Haas isn’t an overly ambitious team, who are gunning to fight at the sharp end of the grid anytime soon. Ocon knows that and will look to abide by what the team is expecting of him — making the most of what they can achieve currently in the midfield.
Lastly, even Ocon has also matured over the years and isn’t the same driver he was three years ago. He knows he needs to lead Haas’ charge and that won’t be possible if he starts stepping on his teammate’s toes.
Haas’ team principal Ayao Komatsu has also set the expectations that he will have a word with both of his drivers to avoid any skirmishes among them for the team’s overall benefit.
