KOMATSU ISN’T BOTHERED BY RUMORS THAT OCON IS ‘NOT A GOOD TEAM PLAYER’

Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has stated that he isn’t concerned about the rumors suggesting that Esteban Ocon is not a good “team player.”

Ocon will join Haas in the 2025 season alongside Oliver Bearman. Over the course of his F1 career, the French driver has gained a reputation for on-track conflicts with his teammates.

Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and Pierre Gasly have all had clashes with Ocon over the years. While not all of these incidents were Ocon’s fault, there is a general perception surrounding Mercedes’ former junior driver regarding his compatibility with a “team environment.”

Speaking exclusively to Crash net last month at the Dutch Grand Prix, Komatsu revealed that he had openly discussed the matter with Ocon.

Komatsu said, “It was a topic of conversation for us. I needed to have an honest conversation with Esteban to understand how he feels about all these issues.”

“Honestly, what I truly believe is that as long as we have mutual respect and transparency, everything will be fine. If there’s a fundamental trust between the team and the driver, then there won’t be a problem.”

Unlike his previous teams, Ocon will be the most experienced driver at Haas and the de facto team leader.

Komatsu is confident that, as long as there is “transparency and trust,” there will be no issues between Ocon and Bearman.

“I really don’t believe there will be any problems,” Komatsu said.

“He’s a very strong driver, very determined. As long as we clearly set the team rules before the season starts, there won’t be any issues.”

“There may be times when we need to give a team order, maintain positions, or stop the drivers from battling. Whether they accept it or not, they will have to follow it. Of course, the issue can be discussed afterward.”

“As long as there is transparency and trust, I truly don’t believe there will be any problems. The rumors don’t bother me,” he said.