The 2025 Formula 1 season has seen widespread change take place up and down the paddock.
When the 2025 F1 grid was confirmed, only McLaren and Aston Martin decided to retain both of their drivers after the driver’s market went into overdrive following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.
Haas and Sauber were the two teams that swapped both of their drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg moving from the former to the latter.
After last year, that looks like an unfortunate decision, considering how well Ayao Komatsu’s team performed with Hulkenberg leading the way.
In stark contrast, Sauber managed just one points-scoring finish and the German will be relying on Audi’s influence on the team making them much more competitive.
Hulkenberg was followed out the door by Kevin Magnussen despite a resurgence towards the end of 2024.
Haas signed Esteban Ocon from Alpine and Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman following his impressive cameos last year.
The pair are both very quick, but speaking on The Race F1 Extra podcast, journalist Ben Anderson believes there are already potential concerns about the two drivers within the Haas setup.
Haas already ‘a bit worried’ about Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman’s relationship
Anderson was asked about the intra-team battles on the grid in 2025 and when asked about which teams may need their own version of McLaren’s ‘papaya rules’ from last year, he said: “Bearman and Ocon, definitely has major potential I think to blow up.
“Pretty much because of Ocon’s long history of not getting on that well with his teammates.
“I think Bearman is a really exciting talent, someone who probably will end up replacing Lewis [Hamilton] at Ferrari in the future, has some edge to him and I suspect will be quick enough to give Ocon some serious trouble.
READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman? Everything to know
“And I think at that point it becomes all about how Ocon reacts and history suggests that he won’t react that well to being given trouble by his teammate.
“And I think already Haas are kind of a bit worried about that aspect so I imagine Ayao Komatsu will be big on rules of engagement for his drivers going into this season.”
Esteban Ocon’s previous relationships with F1 teammates including Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly
Ocon is the first F1 Grand Prix winner ever to race for Haas, but there’s a reason why he was available to Haas and other teams further up the grid weren’t considering him.
Martin Brundle believes Ocon will never drive for a top F1 team after his collision with Pierre Gasly at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Ocon and Gasly had a fractious relationship at Alpine, although it’s hard to know whether that was overplayed given how happy they looked together on the podium in Sao Paulo.
Ocon admitted in an interview with Ouest France that Fernando Alonso leaving the team was the best option after they publicly fell out.
READ MORE: Haas driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
“I was disappointed by Fernando [Alonso]’s comments that came out in the press and internally,” Ocon said. “We didn’t really have a discussion, within the team, about all that.
“I think it’s good that he’s leaving [for Aston Martin] and that we do our part as we should.”
Alonso then labelled Ocon ‘immature’ in 2023 after the pair came together in Brazil, highlighting that’s there still no love lost between the ex-teammates.
It’s up to Komatsu and the rest of the Haas team to make sure Ocon and Bearman don’t come to blows and instead continue the forward momentum they generated last season.
Leave feedback about this