Tag: Oliver Bearman

Bearman says Super Formula ‘feels like Formula 1 without DRS’

Haas F1’s Oliver Bearman departed Suzuka Circuit having accomplished all that he set out to in a guest appearance at Friday’s Super Formula rookie test day. Through the strategic alliance between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing that was unveiled …

Haas F1’s Oliver Bearman departed Suzuka Circuit having accomplished all that he set out to in a guest appearance at Friday’s Super Formula rookie test day.

Through the strategic alliance between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing that was unveiled earlier this year, Bearman was able to drive around the famous figure-eight circuit in Japan ahead of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix in April. He got to drive one of KCMG’s two Toyota-powered Dallara SF23s — specifically, the car that was driven by Toyota’s WEC ace Kamui Kobayashi.

The 19-year-old British driver gave ringing endorsements to both the circuit and the car after 43 laps around Suzuka.

“I had so much fun. My first time in Suzuka, and I was really happy to run here,” Bearman said. “It’s a very high-speed track, and the Super Formula car was amazing to drive as well.

“It’s much lighter than Formula 2, but the chassis is the same. The dimensions are very similar but the car is much lighter. So definitely in slow-speed corners, you feel it’s much more agile. The Super Formula is a bit slower on the straights because there is no DRS in Super Formula, but in the corners, the downforce is impressive — I could dance with that car today.

“Compared to F1, of course, it’s a bit slower. But the thing that impressed me the most about the Super Formula is the cornering ability. It’s very agile. The change of direction is very fast. It’s much, much lighter than a Formula 1 car. Of course, we are missing a bit of downforce overall, but the driving style is very similar to Formula 1. It just feels like a Formula 1 without DRS, so it’s really, really nice.”

Because he’d driven three races in F1 already as a relief driver for Ferrari and Haas, Bearman could no longer take part in the young driver tests at Abu Dhabi after the season. But he could take part in Super Formula’s last day of a three-day official test, alongside other rookie drivers hoping to land a full-time seat in the Japanese series in the near future.

His time behind the wheel was productive, despite a minor mechanical issue in his No. 7 KCMG Dallara-Toyota, and any apprehension he might have had trying to communicate with his Japanese engineers quickly dissipated as both parties communicated in fluent English.

“For sure, it’s been a great test – really useful. I’m sad that I didn’t get to to do all of the laps that I wanted. We had a small issue in the afternoon with the turbo, which failed. But still, I learned what I needed to, and I definitely have a bit more experience going into the race next year.”

His best time from the Friday morning session was a 1m36.940s, 1.4s behind the fastest time of the week set by six-year Super Formula veteran (and fellow F2 alumnus) Tadasuke Makino. But Bearman feels that he could have extracted more pace without the turbo problem in the afternoon.

“I didn’t really get to push flat-out with new tires in the afternoon, but I still learned the track, which was the main goal of this test,” he noted. “When I come back next year for the F1 race, I’ll be in a much better position.”

With all three days of testing open to spectators, Japanese fans turned out by the hundreds starting Thursday morning when Bearman arrived, hoping to meet one of Formula 1’s newest full-time stars to get an autograph or a photo, or both.

“The fan turnout for a test was the best I’ve ever seen,” Bearman recalled. “I’ve never seen so many people for a test day, and their support has been incredible. They were so kind and respectful, giving me little gifts and really taking time to see me. It was really a special feeling and I was happy to give them as much time and photographs and autographs as I could.

“Big thanks to Toyota that I’m here. I have to say a huge thank you to them for helping me to get this test and make it a possibility. It was definitely a big push for me when I knew it was an option and a possibility.

“I’m very excited to continue working with them into next year. This has been the start of hopefully a great partnership.”

Haas confirms Bearman for remainder of Sao Paulo weekend

Haas confirmed Oliver Bearman will complete the remainder of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend in place of the unwell Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen was ruled out of Friday’s running due to sickness, with Bearman stepping in for FP1 and Sprint …

Haas confirmed Oliver Bearman will complete the remainder of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend in place of the unwell Kevin Magnussen.

Magnussen was ruled out of Friday’s running due to sickness, with Bearman stepping in for FP1 and Sprint qualifying, impressing with a run to SQ3 and 10th on the grid ahead of teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Taking part in Sprint qualifying means Bearman was already going to have to race in the Sprint itself, with the earliest Magnussen could have returned being qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

Haas provided an update after Friday’s track action, with Magnussen ruled out of Sunday’s grand prix at Interlagos, and Bearman set for his second start for the team after a substitute appearance in Baku.

“MoneyGram Haas F1 Team can confirm that Kevin Magnussen will not compete in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and Oliver Bearman will race for the team for the remainder of the weekend,” the team said in a statement.

Haas scored points in each of the last five grands prix, a run that stretches to six race events when you include the Sprint at COTA. Magnussen himself finished seventh in Mexico City last weekend in what team principal Ayao Komatsu described as “the best race performance” he had seen from the Dane.

As well as his outing for Haas in Azerbaijan — when he replaced the suspended Magnussen — Bearman has also raced for Ferrari this year, finishing seventh in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in place of the unwell Carlos Sainz.

Bearman disappointed with SQ3 error despite impressive pace for Haas

Oliver Bearman admitted he’s a bit disappointed to only qualify 10th for the Sprint despite being the fastest Haas at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix following his late call-up. Kevin Magnussen was ruled out of Friday’s running after suffering with an …

Oliver Bearman admitted he’s a bit disappointed to only qualify 10th for the Sprint despite being the fastest Haas at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix following his late call-up.

Kevin Magnussen was ruled out of Friday’s running after suffering with an illness overnight, with reserve driver Bearman called up to take part in FP1 and Sprint qualifying. Bearman showed strongly, advancing through to the final part of qualifying, but exceeding track limits at Turn 2 cost him significant time and ultimately led to his lap being deleted and he ended up P10.

“The car was feeling really good all day, honestly,” Bearman said. “From the first lap I did in P1 I had a great feeling, so happy to be in SQ3 and finally make it to the third stage of a qualifying session. But I made a little mistake in Sector 1 which lost me a lot of time, and the rest of the lap was really, really good so I’m a bit disappointed.”

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Bearman’s appearance was only confirmed on Friday morning, the Ferrari youngster explaining that he found out he’d be driving only when Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu phoned him.

“Ayao woke me up this morning at like 6:30 with his call, but when I saw his name I wasn’t so mad — if it was my mom or something not realizing the time difference I’d have been a bit more angry!” he said.

“I give my best to Kevin because I know he’s feeling bad and he’s had a lot of success on this track — he did pole here — but of course very happy to jump in the F1 car. It’s always a pleasure.”

The fact he has qualified the car mandates Bearman will start in the Sprint before a decision is taken on Magnussen’s health, with the Dane able to race on Sunday as long as he qualifies the car on Saturday afternoon.

Bearman replaces ill Magnussen at Haas for Sao Paulo Sprint

Oliver Bearman will race for Haas in the Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, in place of Kevin Magnussen. Haas has announced that Magnussen is sick and will not be able to drive on Friday, leading to a substitute call-up for reserve driver Bearman. …

Oliver Bearman will race for Haas in the Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, in place of Kevin Magnussen.

Haas has announced that Magnussen is sick and will not be able to drive on Friday, leading to a substitute call-up for reserve driver Bearman. With only one free practice session ahead of competitive running on Friday, Bearman will take part in FP1 and Sprint qualifying, with the latter session also mandating he must race in Saturday’s Sprint.

“MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen will not participate in Friday’s track running at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after suffering with sickness,” a team statement read. “Official reserve driver Oliver Bearman will take over driving duties. The team wishes Kevin a quick recovery and will provide a further update in due course.”

While Bearman will race in the Sprint due to qualifying the car on Friday afternoon, Magnussen is able to attempt to return on Saturday if he feels well enough to complete qualifying for the grand prix itself. If he qualifies the car, he will be permitted to start the race, but if Magnussen is not able to drive in qualifying then he cannot take part in Sunday’s grand prix.

Fernando Alonso was also suffering from an intestinal infection following last week’s race in Mexico City but is set to take part in FP1 for Aston Martin.

Baku was a “missed opportunity” for Haas despite Bearman points

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says there was a big missed opportunity in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite Ollie Bearman scoring a point on his debut for the team. Bearman started from 10th place and ran competitively early on before fading in …

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says there was a big missed opportunity in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite Ollie Bearman scoring a point on his debut for the team.

Bearman started from 10th place and ran competitively early on before fading in the opening stint, then being involved in a fight with Franco Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton that eventually resulted in a P10 finish. The rookie’s performance was rewarded with a point when Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez crashed late on, but Komatsu believes a top-six finish was a possibility given the car’s pace had the team executed the race more effectively.

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“It’s really mixed, we should have done better,” Komatsu told SiriusXM. “We had really good pace, and certain things were less than ideal so we only came away with a P10, but in my mind we should have finished ahead of [Alex] Albon at least, possibly fighting against [Fernando] Alonso.

“To start off with, the first stint Nico [Hulkenberg] was dong really well and Ollie wasn’t doing so well, but because he was basically over-managing the tires. Yes he could have done better, but from the team’s side we should have done much better – looking at Nico’s data – to tell Ollie ‘the tires are better than expected, you can push more’. So basically Ollie lost race time for no reason during the first stint.

“That’s why we had to swap the drivers during the first stint, which Ollie wasn’t too happy about but I totally understand that the team should have done a better job in the first place so that gave him a chance to up his pace a bit more.

“Then in the second stint on the hard tire, both drivers had amazing pace. Really good pace. Of course we were going to the end and looking at Colapinto and Alonso’s lap times, we were catching them pretty easily. So if Nico could be there and if Ollie had proper first stint pace starting from where he was, he would have been a step better. So we really should have had a chance to beat Alonso and Albon as well.”

While there was a clear loss of time for Bearman in the opening part of the race, Komatsu says it was Hulkenberg who should have scored more heavily but for a number of incidents late on that quickly caught the team out.

“Then with Nico, just before the last yellow flag he hit the wall on the Turn 15 entry with the right front tire. Then he accidentally pressed the in lap button, and he didn’t realize. So of course he felt the car wasn’t right because it wasn’t in timed lap mode, so he had less power.

“So he thought he had a puncture, he panicked, and our communication to solve that problem wasn’t efficient enough. So while he sorted himself out, he lost position to Colapinto, which is so frustrating because he had something like three seconds – a pretty comfortable lead. He shouldn’t have lost that.

“Then when the Sainz shunt happened, Nico was still mentally recovering from that and he hit something big in that yellow section, and when he came out of that yellow section and saw the green he wasn’t ready, so Hamilton already overtook him. So he was out of the points.

“We should have at least come away with four points, minimum, but if we had done better with Ollie earlier it would have been more. Great that we scored one point, but I feel like a big missed opportunity as well. The midfield is so tight, you’ve got to be perfect, you cannot make these mistakes. So that why it is a bit mixed.”

Bearman to sub for banned Magnussen in Baku

Oliver Bearman will race for Haas in next weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in place of the banned Kevin Magnussen, the team has confirmed. Magnussen picked up the final two penalty points that took him to 12 on his Super License and picked up an …

Oliver Bearman will race for Haas in next weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in place of the banned Kevin Magnussen, the team has confirmed.

Magnussen picked up the final two penalty points that took him to 12 on his Super License and picked up an automatic one-race suspension, ruling him out of the Baku weekend. Bearman is one of the Haas reserve drivers and made an impressive substitute appearance for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia earlier this season, and has now been officially confirmed to be racing again in Azerbaijan.

“I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico [Hulkenberg] in Baku,” team principal Ayao Komatsu said. “He’s already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process.

“This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn’t ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference.”

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Bearman will step up to a full-time race seat with Haas in 2025, and believes the work he’s already done with the team this season will help him get the most out of his opportunity in Baku.

“It’s definitely more of a challenge stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep time and so on, but I’m in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Scuderia Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience,” Bearman said.

“I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku. The team is in good form at the moment and I’ll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available. The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan.”

Magnussen’s 12 penalty points will be removed from his Super License after his one-race suspension, allowing him to return with a clean license at the following race in Singapore.

Haas deal a relief to Bearman amid tough F2 run

Oliver Bearman admits there was a sense of relief when he finally signed his Haas contract earlier this week because he felt his Formula 2 results left a question mark over his future. Haas confirmed Bearman as one of its race drivers for 2025 on …

Oliver Bearman admits there was a sense of relief when he finally signed his Haas contract earlier this week because he felt his Formula 2 results left a question mark over his future.

Haas confirmed Bearman as one of its race drivers for 2025 on Thursday morning at the British Grand Prix, with the 19-year-old singing a multi-year contract. Ahead of an FP1 appearance at his home race alongside his F2 duties, Bearman admits the tough season he’s had so far in F2 — sitting 14th in the standings and with his first win only coming in Austria last weekend — had raised some personal doubts until his deal was finalized.

“I felt like I’ve been performing well since the beginning in free practices, and obviously every time I’ve driven with Haas, I did the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, I’ve always got out of the car feeling like I’ve put in a good image of myself,” Bearman said. “I performed in a way that I was proud of, which is important to me. I knew that if I continue to do that, hopefully I would do enough to get an F1 seat. I’m happy that it’s confirmed and it’s finally the case.

“Honestly, [I wasn’t certain] until it was finally confirmed after Red Bull Ring on Sunday, because you know in F1, until you put a pen on a piece of paper, it’s not really official. So I knew that it was, we were working towards it, and we were pretty much getting there for a while. But you can never celebrate too soon, because F1 is a fast-moving world and you’re only as good as your last race.

“I was of course relieved when it finally came about, and I shared that moment with my manager, who has been with me all the way. That was quite an emotional moment.”

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Bearman believes his performance as a late replacement for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year was crucial to convincing both Haas and Ferrari of his capabilities for a full seat.

“I do feel like the F1 running carried a lot of weight. Of course the race in Saudi, first of all, but even in my free practices and all my testing, it’s always been going pretty well,” Bearman said. “That for me carried a bit more weight. I think for the people that mattered, it also carried a bit more weight. But there’s no way of hiding behind the fact that in F2, it continues to be a little bit more difficult, and that always leaves a question mark in the back of your mind.

“I think the Saudi performance was really the stars aligning moment that made my step into F1 possible. Because I think without that, it would really have been difficult, especially with how it’s going at the moment. So that really, really helped me. And also for my own confidence, because you never really know how you’re going to perform until you race against real F1 drivers, and that was my opportunity and I felt like I did a decent job.”

Haas confirms Bearman in 2025 race seat on multi-year deal

Haas has confirmed Oliver Bearman will race for the team in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal. Bearman is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and currently a Ferrari and Haas reserve, but has been carrying out multiple FP1 sessions to prepare …

Haas has confirmed Oliver Bearman will race for the team in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal.

Bearman is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and currently a Ferrari and Haas reserve, but has been carrying out multiple FP1 sessions to prepare him for a future race seat. Bearman also impressed with a one-off outing for Ferrari earlier this year, replacing the unwell Carlos Sainz in Jeddah and finishing seventh after just one practice session, and he has now been officially confirmed that he will be one of the two Haas race drivers next season.

“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” Bearman said. “To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud. To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.

“To Gene [Haas], Ayao [Komatsu] and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.

“To Fred [Vasseur], Marco [Matassa], Jock [Clear], Alessandro [Vantini] and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”

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Bearman is effectively taking the position of the outgoing Nico Hulkenberg next year, and team principal Komatsu says he has proven his potential in F1 machinery already over the past year.

“It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1,” Komatsu said. “He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons. We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent — both inside and outside of the car.

“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”

Team owner Gene Haas says it’s Bearman’s talent rather than the Ferrari relationship that has led to Haas selecting the 19-year-old for 2025, with the team having been working with the British driver long before he made his eye-catching performance in Jeddah.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in Formula 1 — he’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team,” Haas said.

“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond. This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent — both on and off-track — as we continue to compete at the highest level.”

Bearman sees FP1 outings as crucial to securing Haas seat

Oliver Bearman views Nico Hulkenberg’s move to Audi as opening a door for him to secure a seat at Haas in 2024, but says he needs to earn the chance with his FP1 appearances starting at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Hulkenberg will leave Haas after …

Oliver Bearman views Nico Hulkenberg’s move to Audi as opening a door for him to secure a seat at Haas in 2024, but says he needs to earn the chance with his FP1 appearances starting at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg will leave Haas after two seasons to join Stake next year ahead of its transition into the Audi works team, meaning there will be at least one vacancy for Ayao Komatsu to fill. Bearman makes his first of six FP1 appearances for Haas in Imola this weekend, and says each outing will provide him with an opportunity to prove the seat should be his.

“Yes, of course I see it as my chance but just because there is a seat free doesn’t mean I’m entitled to it,” Bearman said. “I still have to go out there and earn it through good performances in F2, but even more so the six FPs that I’m doing, I have to perform well and show that I’m ready to jump into F1 next year.

“Of course I’ve been set back in F2 but… everything is possible, first of all, and now we’re in the European season where we know the tracks, we have understood the car a bit better. So I don’t see any reason we can’t fight for the championship in F2 and I’m really motivated to do so.

“But these six FPs are of course six great opportunities to prove my talent and what I can do. I don’t place any more weight on them than I do on F2 because of course you need to show that you can compete and race well. F1 is not just about doing the fastest lap, so 50-50.”

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Bearman made his F1 racing debut in a Ferrari as a late replacement for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, but says the practice sessions allow him to build up his experience without the added pressure of significant unknowns about his potential.

“I haven’t been set any goals. I think the pressure is mainly coming from myself,” he said. “I just want to keep learning, keep improving. Every time I drive the F1 car I’m always increasing my experience, I still haven’t done many laps in F1 compared to the other guys so I just want to keep improving and maximize my potential.

“I’ve never had doubt in my ability, since the start I always knew that I was good enough to fight whenever I’ve jumped into a new category I’ve been competitive straight away so that’s never been in doubt for me. I have a lot of confidence in my ability.

“First of all jumping in the Haas in Mexico last year was a good feeling — it gave me a lot more confidence because I was competitive there. And then doing the weekend in Saudi — in really difficult circumstances — I think I proved… I didn’t prove it to myself because I didn’t need to, but I proved it to everyone else that I’ve got what it takes to be in F1 in the future.”

Carlos Sainz to miss Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replaced by Formula 2 driver

Ferrari announced on Friday morning that Carlos Sainz will miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis.

Ferrari has lost one of its drivers for the race weekend in Saudi Arabia. On Friday morning, Ferrari announced that [autotag]Carlos Sainz[/autotag] has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will require surgery. Sainz underwent successful surgery and remains in the hospital. In his place, reserve driver [autotag]Oliver Bearman[/autotag] will drive the No. 38 car.

Bearman currently competes full-time in Formula 2 for Prema Racing. The 18-year-old driver finished sixth in his first Formula 2 season but will be affected in 2024 as he won’t compete this weekend. Bearman is the first British driver to compete with Ferrari in Formula 1 since Eddie Irvine left the race team in 2000.

Sainz will have time to recover before the following Formula 1 race as the sport heads to Australia in two weeks. Ferrari hopes Sainz will be fully healthy by then and re-join his teammate Charles Leclerc. In the meantime, it’s an opportunity for Bearman to prove his worth at only 18 years old and Ferrari has realistic expectations for the young driver in Saudi Arabia.

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