Oliver Bearman’s coming of age
20 September 2024Since Oliver Bearman first stood in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in March, he’s been on quite the journey.
As if scoring points on debut for Ferrari wasn’t enough, he returned to his struggling Prema FIA Formula 2 team to win Sprint races at the Red Bull Ring and Monza, before deputising for the benched Kevin Magnussen at Haas, scoring points once again.
It has been a year to remember for the young Brit, but how has he made the difference and convinced the powers that be to give him a shot, and how will he fare next season when he begins his F1 career in earnest?
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
After a disastrous season-opener in Bahrain, Bearman secured pole for the F2 Feature Race in Jeddah showing that his 2024 pace was still very much there.
In a cruel twist of fate, Bearman quickly withdrew from F2 when Carlos Sainz was hospitalised with appendicitis and was promptly plugged into the Ferrari with just the FP3 session to get up to speed. A superb effort on a challenging circuit meant he qualified 11th on the grid with minimal preparation time.
In the race itself, he made decisive overtakes when necessary and knew when to conserve tyres. A mature approach ensured he had sufficient grip when he needed it, enabling him to fend off the charging pair of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
Remaining composed under immense pressure, Bearman held off his compatriots to finish an excellent seventh on debut.
A mixed bag in F2
Having done enough to secure a full-time 2025 race seat with his performance in Jeddah, Bearman returned to the day job in F2. Overall, his season in the junior category has been one to forget as he and his Prema Racing team have struggled to get up to speed with a new car.
It hasn’t been all bad, though. Sprint Race wins came at the Red Bull Ring and Monza, in which flashes of the F2 form from his rookie campaign were still very much visible, as well as memorable battles with Mercedes-bound Prema stablemate Kimi Antonelli in Monaco and Monza.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Then came another call-up to the big leagues, and another opportunity to shine in front of the F1 paddock. And shine he did.
Standing in for the temporarily banned Kevin Magnussen, Bearman qualified some three positions higher than Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. In the Grand Prix, Bearman battled in and around the top ten for the duration, and a late race overtake on the vastly more experienced Hulkenberg secured him the final points-paying position.
Bearman’s result at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix meant he became the first driver in history to score points in his first two races with two separate teams.
2025 with Haas F1
Partnering 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix race winner Esteban Ocon, Bearman will be up against a solid benchmark in his rookie campaign, but if his Hulkenberg-beating Baku performance is anything to go by, he shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
If Haas can retain their form from 2024 into next season, the 19-year-old could be able to challenge for points regularly.
The pull of the prancing horse
Such is the Ferrari academy driver’s already high reputation that before he’s even begun his first full season, conversations swirl around his potential as replacement to Hamilton as and when he retires.
If that were to be a realistic prospect, he would face a similar trajectory to fellow Brit George Russell, and that has worked out quite well for him since he graduated to Mercedes in 2022.
If his first two performances in the top tier of motorsport are anything to go by, 2025 could be a very exciting season for Oliver Bearman.
