Esteban Ocon will be treated equally to his new teammate (Image: Getty)
Formula One newcomer will be given equal status with his experienced team-mate in his debut season at Haas.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu has reassured Bearman, 19, that he will not be relegated to a secondary role behind the 28-year-old Frenchman.
Komatsu explained: “Honestly, we don’t have a lead driver or non-lead driver, we just work as a team. I’d like to think that both of them push and challenge each other in a good way and then push the team forward together.
“We don’t set out saying like, ‘Oh, Esteban, because of his experience, he’s the team leader’. Both of them bring different positives to the table.”
Bearman had already caught Haas’ attention with his mature performances in practice sessions, as well as his impressive F1 debut with last year.
The teenager stepped in for on short notice and finished seventh, outpacing fellow Brits and .
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Oliver Bearman has been tipped for a big future in F1 (Image: Getty)
Bearman went on to score more points for Haas in Azerbaijan and Brazil, filling in for on both occasions. Now, with a permanent seat alongside Ocon, Komatsu is expecting big things from Bearman.
He said: “We’re not really treating him as a rookie driver. He’s got such a mature head on his shoulders, and he can offer a lot with his young age.
“He’s got lots of experience and of course he’s been exposed to the side of things as well, so he’s been learning a lot pretty quickly.
“So in terms of development stages, he’s not like a normal rookie and he’s already got a lot to offer for us, pushing us, pointing to us what we need to improve on as a team, but in the right way, so we’re really excited about that.”
Despite Ocon’s past incidents with team-mates, including a crash with Alpine’s in Monaco, there are no current concerns about any friction with Bearman.
Komatsu added: “I think [Bearman] will be fine. I’m not worried about his competitiveness. “I think they push each other in a good way. I think what we’re looking for from Oli is – he’s only done two races with us, plus one race at – so that consistency across many races.”