Oliver Bearman favorite for the Haas seat

In a transfer market of 2025 that has rarely been so hectic and uncertain, the question is whether new entrants will be able to make their mark in the paddock. While Andrea Kimi Antonelli was the subject of much discussion, it appears that the favorite to make his full-season debut next year is Oliver Bearman.

It must be said that the Briton impressed during his successful stint at Ferrari during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he had to step in for Carlos Sainz, who fell victim to appendicitis. Without any references on the street circuit, he did not rush things and finished the race in a very respectable seventh place, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.

Now that Nico Hülkenberg has officially announced his departure from Haas in favor of Sauber/Audi for next season, at least one seat is available within the American team: Nico was a very good reference and showed us how fast this car can be in qualifying. With his experience, he is someone with whom we can develop the car.

In such a context, Oliver Bearman, who has already conducted successful tests for the team last year, is an obvious candidate. Ayao Komatsu, the new team director, did not dodge the question when asked about it in the Miami paddock: "Yes, it's completely open for him. We have six free sessions planned for him, the first one in Imola. We will see how we can develop him and how we can work together. At the moment, he is very impressive, very calm. It's not just his speed but also he has understood the objective of the session. It's a very good package."

To make his final decision, the Japanese will both look at the objective data and rely on his instincts.

However, the team will not modify its program for the six appointments with Oliver Bearman this season because above all, these sessions are part of a race weekend where the team necessarily has objectives to optimize performance that weekend: « In Mexico and Abu Dhabi, Ollie had the speed but he knew how to step back in order to positively contribute to the team. At some point, he may encounter problems, such as technical issues on the car or a flat tire. It will be interesting to see how he reacts in these types of situations.

For now, the driver must focus on his F2 season, where he is only in 19th place after three races, knowing that he inevitably missed the two races in Saudi Arabia (his pole position was canceled since he did not participate in the rest of the weekend. However, it is indeed the work directly at Haas that will be the most important at the time of the final decision: « It's a combination of the two. He must perform well in F2 but when we work directly with him, we understand all the data and the context. There will be more weight on what he does in our environment but he must obviously still perform well in F2. »

From our special correspondent in Miami