Oliver Bearman’s 2024 season has been quite disastrous, except for two notable exceptions. He made his F1 debut for Ferrari and secured a full-time contract with Haas. Despite being considered a strong contender for the championship after finishing sixth in his first F2 season, Bearman is currently languishing in 14th place. He has only scored points in four out of twelve races this year and is even behind a teammate who has never raced in F3. However, since his highly successful 2021 season, where he became the first driver to win two Formula 4 titles in the same year and joined the Ferrari Driver Academy, it seemed inevitable that this moment would come. Bearman has consistently performed well every time he has stepped into an F1 car. As a result, he is currently 14th in the F1 drivers’ championship after 11 races, thanks to his impressive result in Saudi Arabia. This performance was enough for Ferrari and Haas to invest in Bearman’s future.
Bearman acknowledges that his F1 running has carried significant weight in securing his position. He believes that his race in Saudi Arabia, as well as his successful free practices and testing sessions, have been influential in the eyes of those who matter. However, he does not deny that F2 has been challenging for him, which leaves some doubts in the back of his mind. Nevertheless, he is happy with the opportunities he has been given.
The road to this point has been much longer than just the six months of 2024. Bearman reflects on the culmination of his hard work and sacrifices over the past 10 to 12 years. Signing the contract was a relief and brought excitement. He feels that all the efforts he has put into his career have paid off, and signing that piece of paper signifies the achievement of his dreams.
Bearman’s success began in karting, where he excelled at national, continental, and worldwide levels. In his second season of single-seaters, he made a significant impact. He dominated the highly prestigious F4 championships in Germany and Italy, winning the latter by over 100 points. Ferrari took notice of his talent and signed him as a junior driver. At just 16 years old, Bearman left his Essex grammar school to further his career in Modena, which is less than 50 miles away from Imola.
Under the guidance of Prema, Bearman made the bold decision to skip Formula Regional and jump straight into the F1 support package in Formula 3. His season took a positive turn on home soil, as he quickly adapted to his new surroundings and achieved a third-place finish. He was only seven points behind the sophomore champion, Victor Martins, whom he outscored 88-62 in the final five weekends of the season. Bearman obtained his FIA Super Licence and wasted no time in making his mark in 2023. In just his fourth round of F2, he became the first driver to win both races of a weekend. More importantly, he made his F1 debut with Haas, which solidified his future in motorsport.
Bearman has always felt confident in his abilities since the beginning of his free practices. Every time he has driven for Haas, he has left the car feeling proud of his performance and the image he has portrayed. This was crucial to him, and he knew that if he continued to perform well, he would have a chance at securing an F1 seat. He is delighted that his hard work has paid off, and he is now officially a Haas driver.
Bearman’s recent performance in Austria was his best result of the F2 season. He hopes to continue this resurgence at Silverstone, where he will have the opportunity to impress his home fans as an official Haas driver-in-waiting. Just a few days after signing the contract, Bearman will take the wheel of the VF-24 in FP1. The confirmation of his contract came after the race at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday. Until then, it wasn’t official, so he refrained from celebrating prematurely. Bearman experienced a sense of relief when the confirmation finally came, and he shared that emotional moment with his manager, who has been with him every step of the way.
Based on Bearman’s career thus far, it is clear that there will be many more emotional moments to come in his F1 journey.
Photo from Oliver Bearman Instagram
