Ocon and Bearman: Harmony at Haas Amidst Rivalry Rumors
Feb.3 - Haas is not worried Esteban Ocon's notorious clashes with teammates will hit new levels of intensity in 2025.
The small American team has a brand new driver lineup for this season - the experienced Alpine refugee Ocon, 28, pitted against impressive teenage rookie Oliver Bearman.
It has intensified suspicions that Ocon's notorious past teammate clashes with Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and Pierre Gasly could pale into insignificance this year as the Frenchman attempts to establish seniority.
"No, no, no," team boss Ayao Komatsu insists. "The rules of engagement have to be totally clear from day one. I don't expect any teammate contact or DNFs because of that."
However, the Japanese chief said he still expects his drivers to "race hard". "The rules of engagement will just be perfectly clear," Komatsu confirmed.
One F1 fan comment on “Ocon and Bearman: Harmony at Haas Amidst Rivalry Rumors”
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I wouldn't be worried about their on-track conduct either, especially as I expect Ocon to quite comfortably outperform Bearman over the season thanks to his relatively vast F1 racing experience.
If anything, I'm more worried about the VCARB duo due to their similar personalities, or even Ferrari, as Leclerc has already had some unideal on-track situations with Sainz, so the same can equally happen with Hamilton, especially if he receives better treatment by the team on occasions.
McLaren could also face a tough situation if both drivers closely battle for the championship.