Formula 1 needed Ollie Bearman on Saturday. Ever since Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was announced, all of the headlines surrounding the sport so far this year had been negative or controversial, and certainly not focused on matters of a racing nature.
Even when the attention was on the track, the ongoing dominance of Max Verstappen and Red Bull wasn’t exactly sparking huge levels of excitement among the majority of fans.
But then came Carlos Sainz’s misfortune; the Spaniard requiring surgery for appendicitis on Friday morning after having been battling through the ailment for both practice sessions the day before. Bearman got the call.
For many, it came as a surprise. “Where is Robert Shwartzman when you need him?” was one question that was raised on our pre-race SiriusXM coverage. But with the greatest respect to Shwartzman – who I’m sure would also be an excellent stand-in if required – he wasn’t needed.
Bearman was jumping in at late notice, and what he achieved was remarkable given the circuit and the situation, but he has also been earmarked as a future F1 race driver long before this opportunity came his way.
For most F1 fans, he first came to their attention when he took part in his first FP1 session for Haas in Mexico City late last year. Bearman was competitive throughout when compared to teammate Nico Hulkenberg; the pair taking on the same run plans to allow a clear picture to build-up to, and only a big moment on his fastest lap prevented him potentially matching or even beating the German, who himself was having an impressive season.
A second FP1 appearance for Haas was already planned at that point, but if finishing sixth during his rookie season in the Formula 2 championship had threatened to slightly slow his progress, it was his time in an F1 car that accelerated Bearman’s path.
Spending the full weekend with the team in Qatar – before Mexico – Bearman shadowed his Haas race engineer Mark Slade to understand the way a driver and engineer work together. Then in Mexico, once he had driven the car he took a step back to have a wider understanding of how the team works and appreciate the complexity that comes with so many different roles.
Everything Bearman did at Haas impressed the team. He was calm and collected, and extremely mature in his approach behind the wheel. “No expectations” was his mantra for those FP1 sessions, as he wanted to make sure he didn’t put too much pressure on himself and just followed the directions he was given.
He did his reputation no harm during his Abu Dhabi outings too, as he took part in FP1 and the Young Driver Test for Haas. It was valuable mileage, but also a further chance to impress that made its way back to Maranello and helped earn Bearman the reserve driver role at Ferrari for this year.
But if there was a tell-tale sign about how highly-regarded Bearman is, and what Ferrari’s plans for him are, it came when he was named as one of the Haas reserves. Pietro Fittipaldi’s full-time IndyCar ride was always going to mean a reliable alternative would be required on many occasions, and Bearman got the nod.
At the same time, he was confirmed as completing six FP1 sessions for the team this season. Not just the two mandatory ones, but six.
With two experienced drivers in Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, Haas didn’t need to replace either of them more times than is required, other than to help prepare another driver for the step up. Bearman’s place at the team for 2025 might not be guaranteed, but it was a clear sign that Ferrari wants him to race in F1 soon, and is keen for him to gain further experience ahead of that chance.
Haas was also more than willing to oblige, given the confidence it has in the 18-year-old after 2023, and its eagerness to keep its power unit supplier happy.
Bearman’s already shown the team he can soak up information quickly and execute whatever is asked of him, knowing that his rise has already been rapid and he has time on his side. Those are traits that he continued to display even when the unexpected chance to race in Jeddah came his way, as he himself admitted “the stars have aligned”.
While his approach is one thing – and a major positive, it must be said – his immense feel for a car is another. Bearman showed it from the very first run in FP3, surprising even his own teammate, who has been through a similar promotion path with Ferrari that featured Haas FP1 sessions and a rookie season at Sauber.
“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” Charles Leclerc said. “I mean, he’s done an exceptional job. To get into a Formula 1 car in FP3 when all the drivers have done FP1 and FP2, you don’t know the car, the track is one of the most challenging ones of the season, and you get there and do the first three laps of FP3 and you are straight away on the pace and pushing the car to its limits…
“It has been super-impressive to see him so fast straight away, super-nice to see him so happy all weekend and so excited as he was, and he did an amazing job.”
The excitement comes from Bearman knowing he is living out a dream, having moved to Italy as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and racing for Prema in Formula 2. While the Briton admits he misses his family dogs, the move abroad at such a young age has helped him mature in a way that some 18-year-olds would not have by the same stage.
It’s a maturity that means Ferrari is also going to entrust Bearman with its own FP1 sessions later this year, ensuring he will run on at least eight more occasions during grand prix weekends, and the Scuderia has full faith in calling upon him again if needed in Melbourne next time out.
Bearman was always being prepared for the big time. Now the rest of the F1 world has been able to see why.