Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has one key criterion as the team weighs up five candidates for its 2027 F1 lineup, including reserve driver Jack Doohan.
Although Haas has not confirmed either of its two drivers for next season, the team is expected to continue with Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman for a third season. It’s his teammate whose future is undecided.
Ayao Komatsu explains Haas’ F1 2027 driver selection criteria
Esteban Ocon is the incumbent, but having contributed just three points to Haas’ 21, his future with the team is uncertain.
The team has evaluated potential candidates, including reserve driver Doohan, in two testing of previous cars [TPC] outings.
The first, which took place at Portimão, included Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli and Toyota-affiliated Ryo Hirakawa.
The second, which was held this week at Jerez, involved Doohan, Hirakawa and 2024 Super Formula Champion Sho Tsuboi.
The outing (below) marked Doohan’s return to an F1 cockpit for the first time since his short spell at Alpine ended after last year’s Miami Grand Prix.
Komatsu has made it clear that he has one criterion for the race seat – speed.
“I’ve always said we take drivers by performance, so performance comes absolutely first,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets.
“If two drivers have got equal performance, affiliations or the packages they’ve got matter.
“But we never take somebody who is three tenths slower, but who has got affiliations with Toyota or Ferrari, or got five million more [in sponsorship].
“We’re not going to do that, so it’s all about performance first.”
“If it’s within tenths for instance – or very, very close – then the affiliation package does come into play for sure,” he added. “I think we can choose by performance.”
Among those affiliations are two drivers backed by Toyota, a Haas partner, one from Ferrari, Haas’ engine supplier, and one from McLaren.
Then there’s Doohan, one of Haas’ current test drivers.
With Haas expected to continue with Bearman, a Ferrari junior, Komatsu was asked if he was okay with potentially having two Ferrari drivers and being known as Ferrari’s “junior” team.
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“Honestly, that doesn’t really matter to me at all,” he insisted. “We really want two fast drivers because that’s the best way to grow this team.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s two Ferrari drivers or two Toyota drivers or two McLaren drivers. Fornaroli is a McLaren driver, right?
“But honestly, it doesn’t matter. Whoever is the fastest, that’s the best one.
“Again for everybody, for 400 people working here, they need to know that our we got the best driver choice that we can get hold of, so that this is the best two drivers that getting best out of the car.
“Imagine taking somebody half a second off for extra money? That’s not going to be very motivating. And also like one position in the championship. That’s quite a lot of money, right?
“Like I said, I’m staying with a consistent, I’ve always said to take driver by performance, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Doohan and the other Haas candidates, with five drivers including Ocon, will have to wait a while to learn their fate.
“I don’t know. Not next week, shall I say,” he said. “I think we’re in a very fortunate situation. There’s so many drivers interested in our seat, really. So five.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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