Oliver Bearman captured attention when he scored points during a surprise debut with Ferrari in Jeddah last March. As a FDA member, he was already under Ferrari and Haas’ scrutiny. His F1 debut confirmed Haas’ expectations and all but guaranteed his 2025 seat with them.
Bearman’s rookie season in Formula 2 is where his F1 journey started. His impressive performances with PREMA throughout 2023 were a huge driving force behind his promotion to become Haas and Ferrari’s reserve driver in 2024.
His ability to quickly adapt to F1 with no preparation has led to excitement over his potential for 2025 in a full-time seat.
Junior career
Bearman’s name came to prominence within the junior categories when he won both the ADAC F4 and Italian F4 Championships in 2021. Bearman joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in November of that year, with them supporting his move to F3 with PREMA.
In Formula 3 the Brit continued to show his skill when he finished third, just seven points from the title in his rookie season as Victor Martins ultimately came out on top.
He immediately made the step to Formula 2. Against more experienced drivers in a brand new category, Bearman quickly proved himself.
In Baku, the 19-year-old became the first driver to ever achieve a clean sweep in Formula 2, winning the sprint and feature race. Notably, he also got pole despite broken steering after brushing the wall.
It was clear Ferrari’s eyes were on Bearman that weekend when Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, along with Ferrari team members, showed up for the Brit’s podium.
However, he didn’t stop there, He finished his rookie Formula 2 season with an impressive 4 wins, 3 poles and 6 podiums. Not long after the season ended, Ferrari announced that Bearman would be taking up the mantle of Ferrari’s reserve and test driver as well as Haas’.
Although he was returning to Formula 2 for a second season, it quickly became obvious that Haas’ attention was on Bearman’s FP1 sessions and tests.
Most employed reserve driver
As a reserve and test driver for Haas and Ferrari, Bearman’s job was to be ready to step up if any of the full-time drivers were ill or injured. Usually, this role is fairly quiet with drivers rarely taken ill or being out with injuries mid-season.
This was not the case for Bearman. Carlos Sainz was taken to hospital with appendicitis before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bearman became the youngest ever Ferrari driver making his debut with the team at just 18 years old. He scored points as he finished P7, superbly holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages.
Later in the year, Kevin Magnussen reached 12 penalty points, giving him a race ban for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Bearman stepped up again this time for Haas, scoring a point as he overtook Nico Hülkenberg. That came just before the VSC was eventually deployed. He impressively beat the German in qualifying, too.
The Dane was then also ill on the weekend of the Brazillian Grand Prix. It left Oliver Bearman to brave the treacherous conditions of the pouring rain in São Paulo. He struggled in the conditions but managed to finish the race. Nonetheless, he had impressed in the Sprint part of the event. He showed very strong pace in that qualifying session.
By the year’s end, Bearman held the comedic title of the ‘most employed reserve driver’. His three starts technically make him no longer a rookie in F1.
2025 expectations
Bearman will be the fourth driver racing under the British flag on the 2025 grid. He is following in the footsteps of a talented generation of young British drivers, such as Lando Norris and George Russell.
The Brit will race with the number 87, which holds significance for Bearman as it is the number his father raced with. The number was chosen for his (May 8) and his younger brother’s birthdays (August 7).
As a Ferrari academy driver, Bearman hasn’t shied away from admitting his goal is to drive for the Scuderia. Ferrari continues to support the Brit. However, they have only ever had one academy driver make it to a Ferrari F1 seat. His name is Charles Leclerc.
For Bearman to take the same trajectory as the Monégasque, he will have to prove himself first with Haas. He also faces against a strong comparison against teammate Esteban Ocon.
With Haas on an upward trajectory, there is the opportunity for both drivers to be consistently in the points next season if the team continues their progress. Ferrari will no doubt keep an eye on the Brit over the coming seasons. He could be a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton when the 40-year-old hangs up his helmet.
