Haas needed a brand new driver line up after 2024 as both of the drivers left the team after the season concluded. Nico Hulkenberg announced he would join Sauber for the 2025 season, while the team decided not to renew Kevin Magnussen’s contract. The American-based team took on Esteban Ocon from Alpine. To partner with the experienced Frenchman, they placed rookie Oliver Bearman in the second seat.
Bearman is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and the Scuderia wanted to find a seat for the youngster. They placed him in the Haas team, for which Ferrari supplies the engine. But who is the youngster that Ferrari has high hopes for?
Where is Oliver Bearman from?
Oliver Bearman was born in Havering, London. The 19-year-old began karting at age seven and has won several championships nationally and abroad.
Ollie’s on the grid for ’25 🙌🇬🇧
Confirming our first driver for the 2025 season, as Ollie signs a multi-year contract with the team ✍️#HaasF1 | @OllieBearman pic.twitter.com/Ub8wTYwES6
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) July 4, 2024
In 2022, Oliver Bearman joined the Ferrari Driver Academy as he stepped up into F3. Since doing so, he has performed well and even stepped in for the main team.
Bearman’s strong performances in junior categories
Oliver Bearman made his debut in open-wheel single-seaters in 2020. He raced in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship, recording a win and finishing seventh in a strong opening season. He raced a handful of races in Italian F4, where he also recorded a victory.
The following season saw Bearman excel. He won the ADAC F4 convincingly recording eleven podiums in eighteen races. The Brit also dominated Italian F4, winning the championship by over one hundred points and standing on the podium 15 times in 21 races.
It’s been quite the journey on the #RoadToF1 for @OllieBearman 🪜✨
Eight F3 podiums, five #F2 wins, the Baku sweep, *that* Saudi weekend… and he’s not done yet! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/oqEjLW3o4Y
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) July 4, 2024
For the 2022 season Bearman stepped up to the F3 series. After a slow start, the youngster became more consistent and pushed hard to win the championship. He finished in third place, just seven points off the champion Victor Martins. Oliver only spent one year in F3 before graduating to F2.
Oliver Bearman’s mixed seasons in F2
Bearman’s debut season with Prema Racing was a good start. He was competitive and dominated the race weekend in Azerbaijan, winning the sprint and the feature race. He finished sixth in the standings after securing four victories.
OLLIE BEARMAN IS A FORMULA 2 WINNER!
From ninth on the grid, he takes his first F2 win amidst utter chaos on the streets or Baku 😅#AzerbaijanGP #F2 pic.twitter.com/WZC9HHxzdS
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) April 29, 2023
The 2024 season didn’t go as well. The Prema team faced many challenges with the 2024 car. It had a small working window and was inconsistent depending on the track. Oliver also missed two race weekends while stepping up into F1 in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Despite three victories, Bearman languished down in twelfth place in the table, losing out to his inexperienced teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Oliver Bearman’s F1 races
Bearman made his debut in F1 when he replaced Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari after the Spaniard had his appendix surgically removed. He became the youngest star to drive for the Scuderia. He qualified eleventh but made his way into the points, finishing seventh and holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages.
Bearman then made his Haas debut, replacing Kevin Magnussen in Azerbaijan after the Dane had received a race ban. He beat experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg in both qualifying and the race, finishing tenth and becoming the first driver in the history of F1 to score points for two different teams in his first two races.
He would then substitute for Magnussen again in Brazil after the Dane fell ill. Bearman did well in the sprint but found the wet conditions in Interlagos tricky. He had several incidents and received a penalty for hitting Franco Colapinto.
Despite the ups and downs, Bearman’s racing career only seems to be climbing. He has a lot on his plate as a Haas driver, while also competing against the 5 other rookies joining the ranks of the grid.
