Oliver Bearman sends Haas clear message ahead of major team change

Oliver Bearman has insisted he is ready to be a team leader at Haas as he prepares for his third full season in 2027.

The Briton will enter the year with a new team-mate after Haas confirmed it would part ways with Esteban Ocon at the end of the current campaign.

While the team has not yet declared who it will sign to replace him, the heavy favourite is believed to be Brazilian Rafael Camara, who would join the grid as a rookie.

Should this be the case, Haas would lean more on Bearman to steer the development of the car with his feedback due to his extra experience.

But Bearman insists he has no concerns about doing so.

“I think that I’ve come a long way in those two years,” Bearman told media including RacingNews365 

“If I compare myself to… I mean, my first few races were very unique circumstances, but even if I compare to the level that I was performing at last year, I’ve definitely come a long way.

“Especially with how I interact with the team off-track and what I understand about how to get the most out of the guys and developing the car as well. 

“So, in that sense I’m looking forward to this kind of new role.”

[Article continues below]

Haas at a disadvantage?

Should this be the case, Bearman will become F1's least experienced 'lead driver' if the 2027 grid stays as it currently stands, following Esteban Ocon's departure from Haas.

Among drivers who would be considered a team's de facto number one, Liam Lawson comes closest to Bearman when it comes to being new to the role, with the Racing Bulls driver on 61 entries to Bearman's 53.

Lawson's route to that status has been shaped by Red Bull's junior program, a Super Formula stint in Japan, and reserve duties across both Red Bull Racing and the sister Faenza squad. He also deputised for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 and for an injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull this year.

Bearman's own path included joining the Ferrari Driver Academy in late 2021, a point-scoring emergency debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia in 2024, and extensive FP1 mileage with Haas before his promotion.

Haas is understood to have been steering Bearman toward a leadership role for some time, easing his transition from a junior pairing with Ocon into the team's technical reference point. 

However, he remains part of the Ferrari driver academy and is seen as a future option for the Maranello-based outfit.