As F1 undergoes the biggest overhaul of regulations in its history, Ayao Komatsu, Ollie Bearman, and Esteban Ocon have reflected on Haas’s performance during several rounds of pre-season testing in 2026 and what their expectations are for the Australian GP this weekend.
Following the private shakedown in Barcelona that reportedly saw them clock up 391 laps, Haas completed 794 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit across six days of pre-season testing.
While Haas enter their eleventh season in F1, Bearman and Ocon will once more comprise the team’s driver line-up.
Why F1 teams will experience new difficulties as they head to different circuits in 2026
Previewing the 2026 Australian GP, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged the excitement that surrounds the first F1 race under the brand-new technical regulations. Emphasising how it’s impossible to determine the pecking order ahead of the season opener, he nonetheless surmised that the battle in the midfield is going to be rather tight.
Although he admitted that he was satisfied with how Haas had fared during pre-season testing, Komatsu also expressed his concerns over how difficult it will be to get the ball rolling in limited time at Albert Park.
Revealing that they had to modify their approach when they headed from Barcelona to Bahrain, the 50-year-old maintained that the new regulations and the diverse traits of the 24 circuits will noticeably prompt the teams to constantly adapt as they gear up for qualifying during race weekends.
“Everyone is excited for this first race in this brand new era of regulations, and the midfield is going to be very competitive.
“I don’t think anyone knows exactly where they stand, but for me, we’ve had very good pre-season preparation. Reliability was good, we kept learning about the car, understanding the regulations, and how to manage the energy.
“However, it’s a completely different ball game completing six days of testing at one circuit, to going to Melbourne and hitting the ground running in FP1. What we were doing for half a day in Bahrain, we’ve essentially got to do in two runs in FP1, that’s the big challenge this year.
“Even going from Barcelona to Bahrain, you can see how the different circuit demands will make a big difference in how you prepare for qualifying, compared to previous years.”
Challenge Komatsu expects Haas and other F1 teams to face at the 2026 Australian GP
With the 2026 F1 engines boasting a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power, the degree of energy management required and its impact on driving styles over a single lap and race distance have been a major talking point for weeks.
As one of the faster tracks on the F1 calendar, Albert Park will offer fewer opportunities to recover energy through braking.
Therefore, Ayao Komatsu emphasised how striking the right balance between harvesting and deployment of energy will be considerably more difficult in Melbourne than on a ‘harvest-rich’ circuit like Bahrain.
“Melbourne as a circuit, in terms of energy recovery, which is critical this year, is going to be much more challenging than Bahrain. I think we all expect a huge challenge, but we’re preparing as well as possible.”
How Komatsu expects Haas to perform at the 2026 Australian GP
Given that 2026 sees eleven F1 teams hitting the track for the first time in a decade, Ayao Komatsu highlighted how critical traffic management will be in Q1 as qualifying for the Australian GP gets underway on Saturday. Nevertheless, he appeared optimistic that Haas can compete for the top spot in the midfield as long as they execute their race weekend well.
At the same time, the Japanese team boss added that they expect a curveball to be thrown at them at any given moment and that one of their biggest tests will be their ability to act swiftly and get on top of the problems.
“In Q1 of qualifying, that’s going to be a huge challenge with 22 cars, managing the traffic on the out lap and traffic in general.
“I do believe with what we’ve done in pre-season testing and the car performance we have, if we can cover the basics and execute well, we should be able to compete where we want to, which is at least in the midfield, hopefully towards the front of the midfield.
“There’s lots of excitement, but also anticipation. For sure, we’ll find something we haven’t thought about, or a surprise, but as always, we’ll just need to react quickly. It’s going to be a huge test.”
What Bearman thinks of Haas’s performance during 2026 pre-season testing
Drawing attention to how short the winter break has been this time around, Haas driver Ollie Bearman admitted that he is looking forward to seeing the teams finally turn their wicks up at the Australian GP and the peak performance of the 2026 cars.
Furthermore, the Brit expressed his gratitude to the entire team for getting the VF-26 ready and for making their testing programme as productive as possible. Acknowledging the learning curve ahead as they continue getting to grips with the new regulations, he also claimed that their pre-season running has enabled them to build a sturdy foundation for the rest of their 2026 campaign.
“Although it’s been a short off-season, it now feels like a long time that we’ve been eagerly awaiting to see the true performance of this new generation of Formula 1 car.
“For the team it’s been a mammoth job. Many have been away from home for multiple weeks already, working all hours across multiple time zones to ensure that our testing program was smooth and valuable; and for that, I wholeheartedly thank them.
“Pre-season testing provided answers to many of our questions, and while there is a lot more to be learned, I believe we’re working from a strong foundation.”
Haas’s priority for the 2026 Australian GP and the next few F1 races
Commenting on how he is gearing up for the season-opening Australian GP, Ollie Bearman remarked that reliability and consistency in the early races of the 2026 F1 season will be imperative for Haas as they seek to establish themselves as the top midfield team.
Noting the difficulties he encountered in last year’s race, which featured mixed weather conditions and multiple crashes, the 20-year-old proclaimed that he has learned from the tricky experience and is ready to tackle the weekend head-on.
“I arrived over the weekend in Melbourne to beat the jetlag early and to also have the chance to see some of this amazing city.
“The Albert Park Circuit is a phenomenal track that is going to really push all of us, and it’s imperative we remain reliable and consistent through these early races.
“Last year was a learning experience from start to finish for me, but after 12 months I feel I’m fully equipped for the weekend ahead; bring it on.”
Why 2026 Australian GP is a crucial race for Ocon and Haas F1 team
Esteban Ocon thanked the team for their tremendous efforts throughout winter and pre-season testing and added that he is excited to see the fruits of their labour on the track. Moreover, he revealed that he is personally looking forward to the new regulations and the clean slate they present after a challenging first year at Haas.
“The first race of a new season is always an exciting time for everyone. The many months of hard work will finally be put to the test, and I’m personally very excited for this fresh challenge and to get back to the racing.
“It’s been a monumental effort from the entire team to get the car ready for Fiorano, Barcelona, and then for Bahrain. We had a successful couple of weeks of testing. The team can be very proud of themselves.”
Underlining the characteristics of Albert Park and indicating how energy management will play a key role at the 2026 Australian GP, Ocon stated that he is eager to discover where Haas will emerge in the early pecking order. Additionally, he stressed the need for consistency and maintained that they will strive to carry their pre-season momentum forward and gain the upper hand on their midfield rivals.
“Starting the season in Australia is always a challenge with the long travel and the time difference, but it’s such a great event and Melbourne is such a cool city with amazing energy.
“The track at Albert Park is a unique street circuit, bumpy and tricky, which will be interesting with this new generation of cars.
“I can’t wait to get going in Melbourne and see how we perform against the competition. In a tight midfield battle, consistency will be key. So we’ll aim to keep the momentum going and have a good start to the season.”
