Oliver Bearman has left a good impression at Haas F1 after debuting for them in FP1 sessions at the back end of 2023, with team principal Guenther Steiner revealing the 18-year-old proved to be a “positive surprise” for a team that previously held a “hardline” policy against rookie drivers.
Photo Credits: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
Bearman made his debut in F1 at the Mexico City GP, and immediately impressed with his composure and performance, just three-and-a-half tenths back from team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, despite having a huge snap of oversteer in what was his best lap of the session.
He would then make another appearance in the VF-23 in first practice for the season finale in Abu Dhabi, in which he again showed to be right on the pace, just over a tenth of a second back from experienced team-mate Kevin Magnussen.
Speaking on Thursday at the Abu Dhabi GP weekend – even before the 18-year-old took to the track in an F1 car for the second time – Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner told selected media how the young Briton’s performance was a “nice, positive” surprise for the American squad, even more so considering his young age:
“He [does] a pretty good job, he stays very calm and [is] very mature for an 18-year-old,” he said. “And did a really good job in the car as well, he’s confident but not overconfident, and it’s a fine line in racing.
“It was a nice surprise, a positive surprise.”
Haas’ position regarding rookie drivers nowadays is well known for avoiding it at all costs, after the enormous failure of 2021, when the team ran two rookies in the form of Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, and had a season marred by subpar performance and a lot of crashes.
After signing Kevin Magnussen in 2022 and Nico Hulkenberg for 2023, the team can now rely on two well-proven, experienced drivers to bring the cars home and in the points occasionally. But Steiner admitted that with the likely volatility of the 2025 driver market – when several drivers will either retire or move teams – will lend itself to teams opening up for new drivers, and might change their “hardline” view on rookies:
“It was a hardline decision at some stage,” Steiner admitted. “[But] in ’25 there will be some people who have just finished their career, because they are getting on with age.
“At some stage, you need to consider: ‘Is it the ideal situation?’ – No, but what is the negative and what is the positive [side]?
“[Then] you are faced [with this situation] and you don’t have any choice, and then you just try to do the best you can,” he explained.
“We all know what is happening next year with the driver market. [But] in ’25 it opens up, because at some stage we will have new drivers coming into Formula One, because some are getting on [the end] of their career,” he said. “You always think [about it], and you see what is happening and you keep an eye on it, but it’s too early to make decisions.
“But I think next year a lot of people will start moving pretty early in the season, to make sure [they start] ’25 in a good place.”
