Driving in the Ferrari in Jeddah was a chance for Bearman to enter F1

After a promising first season in Formula 2 in 2023, Oliver Bearman approached the 2024 campaign with a clear goal: to win the title and secure a place in Formula 1 for 2025. However, the performances of the Prema driver have fallen short of expectations, with only 34 points scored since the start of the season in Bahrain. His only victory came in the sprint race in Spielberg, which is well below his ambitions and, especially, the results of his young teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes protege.

An unexpected opportunity in Saudi Arabia.

Despite these mixed results, Haas decided to trust him for the 2025 season, believing in his potential. This decision was largely influenced by his impressive performance in Saudi Arabia when he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who was suffering from appendicitis. Bearman, without participating in the Friday trials, qualified 11th, narrowly missing out on making it to Q3 against seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. During the race, he made bold overtakes and displayed a remarkable pace, finishing in a surprising seventh place, ahead of experienced drivers such as Norris and Hamilton.

This performance staggered the paddock, including his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc: « He was on pace during qualifying. He did an exceptional job and narrowly missed out on Q3. Today, he was incredible. To finish in seventh place in your first F1 race, having only done one free practice session in a new car, is simply impressive. I’m sure he is very proud. But everyone has noticed how talented he is. I think it’s only a matter of time before he joins us in Formula 1.

Leclerc’s comments struck a chord with Haas, who decided to entrust him with a seat for 2025, despite his disappointing results in Formula 2, where he currently holds the fifteenth place in the drivers’ standings, a position lower than the one he holds in Formula 1.

For some, like Naomi Schiff, presenter at Sky Sports F1 and member of the Canal Plus team, this performance in Saudi Arabia was crucial to securing a seat in Formula 1, downplaying her poor performances in Formula 2. “I think he was incredibly lucky. Obviously, he had shown potential, and that’s why he replaced a driver at Ferrari. But he had an incredible chance to have this opportunity in Saudi Arabia to really show what he is capable of, because based on his results in Formula 2 this year, he probably wouldn’t have been a candidate for the seat.”

Bearman, a member of the Ferrari Academy, is aware that he needs to improve his performances in Formula 2 to better prepare himself for the top category. However, at Haas, the emphasis is more on his ability to acclimatize to Formula 1 through the numerous practice sessions offered to him this year (the Briton has six practice sessions this year and has already completed four) rather than on his results in Formula 2. The goal is to prepare him as best as possible for 2025, a year when the starting grid will feature four British drivers.