Director of engineering Ayao Komatsu says that the Englishman, who had a run in a two-year Ferrari SF21 as a part of his preparation for his race weekend debut, “did not put a foot unsuitable.”
He ended the session in fifteenth place, three spots and 0.3 seconds behind team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who’s celebrating his 2 hundredth grand prix in Mexico.
“I do not suppose we will fault him,” stated Komatsu. “He is completed very well, all the way in which from the very preliminary preparation he is been very skilled, very, very simple to cope with.
“After which each single course of I’ve nothing to complain. And as we speak with a calmness he understood the targets of each single run.
“He did not put a foot unsuitable, actually. He did not maximise the gentle lap, the time distinction, Nico’s lap wasn’t nice both, so you possibly can’t actually learn an excessive amount of into it.
“However by way of his suggestions, it was actually good engagement along with his engineers. Very, excellent job. Very impressed.
“Truthfully, I am unable to decide a second the place from throughout the preparation, one thing was irritating or tough, together with his administration, it has been a very clean course of, it has been an actual pleasure to work with him and his administration crew.”
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Crew
Requested if the 18-year-old had truly exceeded expectations, Komatsu indicated that he had.
“I do not suppose you possibly can count on significantly better,” he stated. “After which definitely, higher than my expectations as properly.
“Not that my expectation was low, however that was so skilled. And he did not put a foot unsuitable. And the communication and the suggestions was actually good as properly. So actually, I’ve acquired nothing to complain about. So it was a very spectacular FP1.”
Haas has run many rookies prior to now, together with Charles Leclerc.
Requested how Bearman in contrast, Komatsu stated: “I feel it’s kind of tough to make a direct comparability, actually. However truthfully, if I simply take into consideration as we speak, he is completed so properly. Actually, actually, properly. I actually cannot fault him as we speak.
“So we have one other session deliberate with him in Abu Dhabi. So actually trying ahead to that. After which yeah, hopefully, extra periods subsequent 12 months as properly. So it’s extremely promising.”