Bearman and Komatsu on the 19-year-old’s new Haas deal

Bearman is in incredibly likeable person, who lights up a room as soon as he walks into it and opens his mouth. He very quickly settled into Haas, which has always been a team with a close-knit family feel (this was one of the key attributes that attracted Kevin Magnussen to the team and got the best out of him back in 2017). Every time he’s worked with the team, he’s brought a buzz.

“For this team to improve, the driver is a key part,” adds Komatsu. “He’s got a natural personality which is very motivating and positive. This is great because it is a tough job. We have 24 races, and triple headers, so it can get tiring.

“To have someone like him – a bubbly guy, a really positive guy – it just lifts the whole team up. If the driver is leading in that way, it helps the team raise its game.”

READ MORE: ‘I’ve never seen anything better than that’ – Legendary engineer Jock Clear on Bearman’s F1 debut

Bearman: ‘I’ve found a perfect new family in Haas’

It’s long been believed that Bearman would be making his Formula 1 debut next season – but it wasn’t until after last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, just a couple of days before the news would be made official, that he found out for sure that the Haas drive was his.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Bearman tells F1.com. “In F1, nothing is confirmed until the pen is on the paper, and that was actually on Wednesday morning. It’s been a crazy few months. I’m really happy to have it official and out there.”