Komatsu says Haas should have pitted Bearman sooner at Sepang
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the team should have pitted Oliver Bearman sooner after splitting its drivers’ tyre choices at Sepang. Bearman said he lost 40 seconds and believed the right tyre choice could have put Haas in the points fight. The FIA’s provisional classification lists Bearman 14th and Esteban Ocon 15th.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the team should have pitted Oliver Bearman as soon as it realised how much lap time he was going to lose in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang.
Haas says it split the drivers’ tyre choices for the standing start: Bearman took soft tyres, while Esteban Ocon stayed on intermediates. The standing start followed two laps behind the Safety Car.
Komatsu said Haas had expected the track to dry more quickly. Bearman said he lost 40 seconds and that the right tyre choice at the start could have put the team in contention for points.
The FIA’s provisional classification lists Bearman 14th and Ocon 15th.
Sources 03
- PRIMARY SOURCE– October 4, 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: Race RecapHaas F1 · Team statement; interested source
- PRIMARY SOURCEDoc 53 - Provisional Race ClassificationFIA F1 decision documents
- SOURCEF1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen wins chaotic race from Antonelli as Russell retires late onAutosport
Claims and supporting evidence 5
Haas quotes Komatsu saying the team should have pitted Bearman as soon as it realised how much lap time he was going to lose.
Haas describes lap three and Autosport the end of lap two; both place the standing start after two laps behind the Safety Car.
Haas quotes Bearman’s 40-second loss and his assessment that the right starting tyre choice could have put the team in contention for points.
The document labels the classification provisional and lists both drivers in those positions.
Haas names the venue in its race recap.
Corrections and updates to this story
Komatsu says Haas should have pitted Bearman sooner at Sepang
Correction: Removed an apparent discrepancy in the standing-start chronology: the end of lap two and the start of lap three describe the same lap boundary. Removed repeated commentary. This is an AI-assisted editorial correction based on source review.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.