Bearman feels at home in Formula 1
The Briton revealed that he is much more at ease at the wheel of a Formula 1 car than he is in Formula 2. This is reflected on the track, where Haas and Ferrari have achieved convincing results, while Prema has struggled.
This is a statement that is not heard very often. Contrary to the majority of drivers, Bearman feels more comfortable in a Formula 1 car than in a Formula 2 car, even though moving from one category to the other requires understanding and knowing a lot of additional data. The British driver acknowledges, however, that it has been difficult for him. “It’s certainly complicated. The driving style is quite different between the two cars, which doesn’t make my life easier – I always go back and forth,” explained Bearman.
A fast acclimatization in F1
This season, the member of Ferrari’s young drivers academy had the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car on 3 occasions. Despite a challenging race in Brazil where he was discovering an F1 car for the first time in wet conditions, his first two experiences turned out to be very positive. In Jeddah, he stepped in urgently to replace Carlos Sainz, who had appendicitis. After a convincing qualifying session, finishing in eleventh place, Bearman had an outstanding race. He finished seventh overall with several overtakes, even crossing the line ahead of drivers such as Norris or Hamilton. This performance did not go unnoticed at Haas, who eventually decided to sign him for 2025.
While he was supposed to wait for the end-of-season tests to drive the American single-seater, he was offered Magnussen’s seat in Baku after the latter received a Grand Prix suspension. For the second time, he finished in the points with a tenth place, just ahead of his teammate Nico Hülkenberg.
A season of F2 below expectations
However, his Formula 2 season is quite different. While he was a title contender, Ollie Bearman is experiencing a more than complicated campaign with Prema. With 50 points, he is only fifteenth in the standings, far behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli, future Mercedes driver, and he only has one victory, in the sprint race in Austria. According to him, it is only when he gets behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car that he truly feels like a driver. “I feel a bit more natural in F1. I tend to find my pace a bit quicker and I feel a lot of confidence when I’m driving an F1 car.”
« I always feel like I’m back home when I get into an F1 car, which is nice. And every time I drive an F1 car, I feel it more and more. It’s a good feeling. » A comfort he hopes to find again next year behind the wheel of the Haas for what will be his first full season in Formula 1.
