Haas workforce principal Ayao Komatsu has confirmed that outgoing Alpine charger Esteban Ocon is beneath ‘critical’ consideration for a seat with the US outfit for 2025.
It was introduced final week that Ocon and Alpine will half methods on the finish of the season, which has fueled hypothesis over the Frenchman’s subsequent transfer.
Haas has at the least one seat to fill for 2025 following Nico Hulkenberg’s determination to hitch Sauber subsequent yr forward of the Swiss outfit’s transformation into the Audi F1 works workforce.
Nevertheless, Ferrari protégé Ollie Bearman, who loved a formidable F1 debut and one-off with the Scuderia earlier this yr in Jeddah, is believed to have been earmarked by Haas for a full-time marketing campaign with the American workforce.
Bearman can be again within the saddle subsequent week in Barcelona the place the younger Briton will participate in FP1 with Haas.
“We’re evaluating him,” commented Komatsu final weekend in Montreal, quoted by Motorsport Week.
“If he’s not in consideration we wouldn’t be working him within the automotive in FP1, so subsequent time he’s going to be within the automotive is in Barcelona.”
With F1’s driver market in flux, Komatsu is casting a large web in its seek for expertise for subsequent season, and the Japanese workforce boss clearly believes that Haas and Ocon would make match.
“He’s acquired a whole lot of expertise, he’s a race winner, he’s acquired podium finishes and has scored many factors after which he labored with just a few totally different groups,” Komatsu stated.
“So he’s acquired a whole lot of expertise which is what we’re in search of, but additionally he’s nonetheless solely 27, he’s nonetheless very younger.
“And I believe his dedication and work ethic could be very, excellent. I’m speaking with a number of of the present F1 drivers, skilled guys, in addition to among the younger drivers.
“So he’s undoubtedly one of many a number of that I’m contemplating significantly.”
Whereas Ocon is a powerful candidate, Komatsu’s feedback recommend that he’s conserving his choices open, and this features a full refresh of Haas’ driver line-up, with Kevin Magnussen probably not within the image for 2025.
Nevertheless, the workforce’s strategic strategy clearly favors pairing a younger expertise with an skilled driver, akin to Ocon.
“I imply, as a workforce, , we’re rising up,” he defined. “We’re bettering the workforce.
“So a fairly dynamic state of affairs, so I believe the combination of fine youth after which expertise to present us the reference could be a fairly thrilling mixture.”
Concerning Ocon, the 27-year-old is rumored to even be excessive on Audi’s checklist of candidates.
Nevertheless, the phrase within the paddock final weekend was that the Frenchman is just not too eager on becoming a member of the German producer’s F1 venture. Therefore his mutual curiosity in Haas which is making good progress this season in F1’s midfield beneath Komatsu’s administration.
Preserve updated with all of the F1 information through Fb and Twitter