Ollie Bearman gained attention in the world of Formula 1 when he unexpectedly made his debut in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, filling in for Carlos Sainz who was unable to participate due to appendicitis. After being heavily linked to Haas for several months, Bearman has now been announced as the first driver for Ferrari’s customer team in the 2025 F1 season. Bearman’s debut made him the third youngest driver to start a grand prix, the first Ferrari driver to make their championship race debut since 1972, and the first British driver for Scuderia since 1999.
Bearman’s impressive performance during his F1 debut and his potential for the future have drawn comparisons to Charles Leclerc. We discuss our thoughts on Bearman’s outstanding debut and what it means for his career. Additionally, we explore the standout aspects of Bearman’s debut with Ferrari, which were unnecessarily apologetic. In our podcast, we delve into the topic of how soon Bearman could potentially be racing for Haas.
Bearman’s journey to single-seaters began in the British karting scene, where he achieved considerable success. He also competed in international IAME competitions, which offered an alternative route compared to other international series. In 2020, at the age of 15, Bearman transitioned to single-seaters amidst the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he only had one win each in German F4 and Italian F4 that year, Bearman returned to both series in 2021 and emerged as the champion in both. His Italian F4 title-winning campaign included an impressive streak of seven consecutive wins. In October of the same year, he became a Ferrari junior after undergoing evaluation at the Ferrari Driver Academy event in Maranello.
Following his success in the lower formulae, Bearman moved on to the Formula 3 series, which supports the F1 championship. In his first attempt, he narrowly missed out on the championship title, finishing third in a closely contested battle among the top three drivers. Bearman then earned a promotion to Formula 2 with Prema, where he had a mixed but generally impressive debut season. He showcased some inconsistency in scoring but managed to secure a double win in Baku, a rare achievement given the competitive nature of the series. Towards the end of the 2023 season, Bearman had the opportunity to participate in two free practice sessions with Haas, as part of the requirement for F1 teams to give rookies a chance. He made a strong impression in both sessions, leading to a planned six-practice program with Haas in 2024, which was seen as a precursor to his eventual promotion to F1 in 2025.
However, Bearman has faced challenges in the 2024 F2 season. He has struggled to adapt to the series’ new car and has encountered reliability issues, resulting in a position outside the top 10. His rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, has performed at a similar level throughout the season. Despite these setbacks, Haas has been impressed by Bearman’s test appearances and has secured his services as their first driver signing for the 2025 F1 season. This announcement was made on the eve of the British Grand Prix.
