Komatsu: Bearman's Haas delay is contractual, wage-demand stories 'nonsense'
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the wait for Oliver Bearman's 2027 announcement is down to contractual matters, called reports of excessive wage demands nonsense and said he is sure a deal will be done. Bearman said the timing is not in his hands.
Why no announcement yet?
Haas has named Rafael Camara as Esteban Ocon's replacement for 2027, but the other seat is still without an official name. At the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, team principal Ayao Komatsu addressed the delay in Oliver Bearman's renewal, speaking to Sky Sports and other media on Friday, 30 October 2026.
What Komatsu said
Komatsu told PlanetF1 and Crash.net that the hold-up is "all on the contractual side", but declined to give details. Asked about the matter, he said both sides want to continue together and added: "I'm sure we will."
He also rejected stories that Bearman's salary demands were the problem. According to Crash.net, Komatsu called the reports absolute nonsense, said he did not know where a figure of six million euros had come from and noted that he first saw it on Instagram. He also denied a reported argument between Bearman's team-mate Ocon and the team in Miami, saying there was no truth in it, and criticised outlets that repeat stories without checking sources.
Bearman's side
Bearman said earlier that the timing of an announcement is "not really in my hands". He wants to stay at Haas, and told reporters a few things are going on in the background. PlanetF1 reports that he would have preferred to settle his future much earlier in the year. Ferrari, which supplies Haas with engines and has Camara in its junior programme, is said to have a say in the outcome, although neither report spells out its role.
By the numbers
In our OpenF1 data, Bearman is 13th in the standings with 20 points from 18 races. His best result is fifth place, he has four top-10 finishes and five retirements. His most recent finish was 12th before a retirement in the United States Grand Prix.
The next chance for an announcement is this weekend in Mexico City, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday 1 November. Until Haas publishes a statement, Bearman's 2027 status remains officially open.
