FORMULA ONE is a sport that has many different complexities to it. From different components that make up the cars, most with names and abbreviations, that let’s be honest, no one truly understands, to hundreds of regulations that teams and drivers need to adhere to.
But before we throw you in at the deep end, we are going to walk you through the different teams.
We are halfway through now, and we’ve talked about Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi, Cadillac and Ferrari. So next up is…
Haas
TGR Haas F1 Team, based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, is the second US team on the grid this season.
Founded by owner Gene Haas, the team made their Formula One debut in 2016.
Haas was the first American team since 1986 to compete in the sport and has always been considered a backmarker team.
Since the team’s inception, they have had a close technical partnership with Ferrari, using their engines, and in recent years have provided seats for Ferrari-affiliated drivers.
Who makes up the Haas team?
The Team Principal is Ayao Komatsu.
In 2024, Komatsu was promoted from chief race engineer, replacing long-serving Guenther Steiner.
Before joining Haas in 2016, his career started as a tyre engineer at BAR (British American Racing) from 2003 to 2006.
He then made the move to Renault/Lotus, where he worked as a performance engineer, race engineer and chief race engineer before leaving in 2015.
His job is to oversee all the technical, operational and personnel aspects to ensure the team is moving in the right direction.
Ultimately, he has final say over key strategic decisions and represents the team publicly in the media.
Like every F1 team, there are two drivers.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon moved to Haas at the start of 2025 after spending four years at Renault/Alpine.
He made his Formula One debut in 2016, racing nine times for Manor Racing MRT, and then joined Force India/Racing Point from 2017 to 2018.
After a season out as a test driver for Mercedes, he joined Renault in 2020 and achieved his first podium.
His first win came at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine
It was a pretty crazy start to the race with multiple cars crashing out at the first corner due to the wet conditions.
This allowed Ocon, who started 8th, to make his way up to 2nd.
With the red flag out, the race had to restart. Lewis Hamilton, however, was the only driver not to go onto dry tyres on the formation lap, which led to scenes we have never witnessed before.
The Frenchman then led from start to finish.
His 3rd and 4th podiums came in 2023 and 2024.
Oliver Bearman is the second driver and is one of five Brits on the grid this season.
Bearman is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and he’s contracted to Haas until at least the end of this 2026 season.
Joining Haas for 2025, in his rookie season, he picked up 48 points and was considered one of the best rookies of the season.
With Hamilton in his twilight years, Bearman is the favourite to replace him at Ferrari as long as he can put in the performances over the next couple of years.
Their current test/reserve drivers are Australian Jack Doohan and Japanese Ryo Hirakawa.
The team’s best finish came in 2018, when they finished 8th in the constructors’ championship.
With the new regulations now at play, these first few races could determine what direction the teams go in for the rest of the season.
Next up is another big hitter, McLaren.
