Oliver Bearman will join the Formula 1 grid in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal with Haas. The teenager graduates from his reserve driver role and his F2 gig with Prema.
2023 was only the second season in the sport’s history that started without any rookies. The grid remained the same over the winter after debut campaigns for Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant.
But while Bearman has already made his F1 debut (at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Ferrari), he’ll still ensure there’s at least one rookie in the field. His Prema teammate Kimi Antonelli is ‘99%’ sure to join him, though he could be racing at the front with Mercedes.
The 19-year-old will be replacing Nico Hulkenberg, who’s already confirmed that he’ll be joining the Sauber/Audi project. That means succeeding one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, with 214 race starts under his belt.
Hulkenberg has impressed since he returned to F1 with the American team at the start of last year. He’s responsible for 14 of Haas’ 19 points this term and scored a superb sixth place in Austria last time out.
This may be partly why Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has called for Haas to sign a proven driver who can mentor Bearman and deliver results from the outset while he adapts. Kevin Magnussen is out of contract, with Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas above him in the pecking order.
Martin Brundle warns F2 rivals will be desperate to beat Oliver Bearman
On the same day that his move to Haas was confirmed, Bearman appeared on the F1 Show in front of the Silverstone crowd on the start/finish straight. Damon Hill has told him that the ‘fun’ starts now, but Martin Brundle views things differently.
He says drivers in Formula 2 will be especially motivated to beat Bearman now that he’s officially stepping up to F1. It looks as if only he and Antonelli will be picked up from the feeder series.
The Englishman has endured a tricky campaign so far. While he won the Sprint in Austria, he’s still only 14th in the championship, he admits he’s had a ‘really difficult’ spell.
“You’re going to have a target on your back now, aren’t you?” Brundle said to Bearman. “You’re in Formula 1 and everyone else on the F2 grid is going to want to show that they should be in Formula 1 as well.”
In reply, Bearman pointed out that this has been the case ever since March, when he rose to fame with a highly impressive debut in Saudi Arabia. As such, he isn’t particularly concerned.
“I feel like I’ve had that since after Jeddah,” he said. “So that shouldn’t really change.”
The one thing that ‘disappointed’ Bearman about F1 debut
Bearman qualified 11th and finished 7th as he stood in for Carlos Sainz, bagging the best result for a debutant since 2015. After he beat Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to the chequered flag, he won the driver of the day award too.
But elsewhere in his Sky interview, Bearman confessed that he was ‘a bit disappointed’ that he couldn’t see out his F2 duties from Saturday onwards. He’d qualified on pole for the Feature Race, so potentially missed out on a win.
Still, he knew it was a ‘great experience’, and his display may well have been the deciding factor in earning him a seat. Of course, Haas have ample data to analyse from his various FP1 runs, but they can’t create the same pressurised conditions as a Grand Prix.
Bearman is due for his latest run at Silverstone on Friday morning. That will be the third of six scheduled outings over the course of the year.
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