Fresh from a test at Fiorano with the 2021 Ferrari where he drove a Formula 1 car for the first time, the young English driver is now ready to make his race weekend debut. Oliver Bearman is the most promising young talent in the Ferrari Driver Academy, and this weekend in Mexico, he’ll get another taste of F1 by driving for Haas in FP1. Let’s take a look at who he is and how his career has progressed in junior formulas.
Who is Oliver Bearman, Ferrari’s talent: Profile
Born in Chelmsford, United Kingdom, and having turned 18 just a few months ago (born on May 8, 2005), Oliver Bearman is a fan of TV series, including Breaking Bad, and his football idol is Lionel Messi. His favorite special dish is Margherita pizza. He excelled in mathematics and English during his school years, and his lucky charm is a sixpence, an old British coin.
Karting Debut and Rise in F4
His karting career began at the age of 8 in a club race, and he secured his first title in 2017 by winning the Kartmasters British Grand Prix. He achieved success in karting with a pinnacle in 2019, winning the World Cup in the Junior X30 class in Valencia, as well as its European series and the world championship in Le Mans.
In 2020, he made the transition to single-seaters with a full season in German F4 and part-time racing in Italian F4. He secured two podiums and one win in Germany and one win and a podium in Italy, competing in both series with the US Racing team. In 2021, he returned to both championships with Van Amersfoort Racing and dominated them.
With six wins in German F4 and eleven in Italian F4, Oliver Bearman’s performance put him in the spotlight, attracting the attention of Ferrari.
The Jump to F3: An Excellent Rookie Season
Normally, after Formula 4, drivers are expected to move up to Formula Regional, which was recently won by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, after winning the FDA’s Scouting World Finals, Bearman joined the Ferrari Academy and signed directly with Prema in Formula 3.
His debut in Bahrain’s sprint race was impressive with a podium finish. At Imola, he suffered a zero due to a five-second penalty for an incident in the Feature Race. Bearman returned to form at Silverstone, with a remarkable third-place finish in a race that meant a lot to him in front of his home crowd. He secured three more third-place finishes in the following three Feature Races.
In Belgium, he won his first sprint race, while a setback in the Netherlands complicated his title campaign. Nevertheless, his impressive overtaking maneuvers at Zandvoort, including two high-quality outside passes, were notable. In Monza, although he missed out on the championship title, which went to Victor Martins, Bearman secured two second-place finishes. At the end of the season, he had 132 points in the standings, earning him a third-place finish.
His outstanding rookie season earned him a promotion to the Prema F2 team alongside Frederik Vesti for 2023.
The Season in F2: Some Lows but Astounding Highs!
As expected, the transition to Formula 2 is not easy. In a competitive grid like this year’s, adapting to a significantly different car at such a young age, along with new variables such as pit stops, can be a long and crucial process in the race for immediate success.
The first races proved to be challenging, with a retirement (not his fault) in Bahrain, a DNF due to a collision in Jeddah, and struggles in Melbourne. The turning point came in Baku, where Oliver Bearman showcased his enormous abilities. Despite starting from pole with a crooked steering wheel, he won both races, significantly boosting his title bid.
A dip in form in Monaco was followed by a strong weekend in Barcelona, where he secured pole position and victory in the feature race. His performances were consistently within the points, but he managed only one podium in the sprint race in Hungary and a pole in Spa (where he received a penalty for an incident, costing him the podium). This was until the summer break.
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The Zandvoort weekend was good in terms of performance but ended with zero points. Heavy rain during the sprint race in the Netherlands rendered it null, despite Oliver Bearman’s fantastic outside pass in turn one. In the Feature Race, he was taken out by Victor Martins. At Monza, Oliver Bearman continued to show excellent pace, dominating the Feature Race after a great start that saw him surprise Theo Pourchaire. With only the Abu Dhabi round remaining, Oliver Bearman is still in the running for third place in the championship, having amassed 130 points.
An Impressive Record
Bearman is the only Formula 2 driver to have won every race of the weekend and secured pole position in the same weekend. Both Felipe Drugovich in Barcelona in 2021 and Oscar Piastri in Jeddah in 2022 won two races on the respective weekends. However, in the case of the Brazilian who won both races, the pole went to Jack Doohan, and in the case of the Australian, who managed to secure pole, he was unable to achieve a perfect weekend due to not winning one of the sprints, which went to Marcus Armstrong.
Bearman’s Future: Heading to Formula 1?
Oliver Bearman is one of the most promising talents currently competing in the junior categories. In all likelihood, he will remain with Prema for a second season in Formula 2 in 2024, likely alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Additionally, Frédéric Vasseur has confirmed his participation in FP1 with some regularity in 2024.
However, caution is needed. His young age can be a double-edged sword, as Theo Pourchaire’s experience showed. The French driver was unable to secure a full-time seat in Formula 1 after two excellent debut years in F3 and F2. Despite leading the championship in 2023, it may not be enough.
The new generation of cars that F2 will introduce in 2024 will be a significant test to further assess Oliver Bearman’s adaptability. A potential entry into Formula 1 is expected in 2025, a year before the new rule changes.
The 2024 Formula 1 silly season, looking towards 2025, is expected to be hot, with many driver contracts expiring. Oliver Bearman will need to fight for the championship in 2024 to have a chance. This will require finding consistency in results from the beginning and honing his skills in wheel-to-wheel action. His aggressive overtaking style has sometimes pushed the limits, leading to scrutiny by race stewards.
Oliver Bearman has all the ingredients to make his mark in the upcoming Formula 1 driver market, and Scuderia Ferrari has a promising talent in its ranks. All that’s left is to await his debut in Mexico and the continuation of his career!
Source: f1ingenerale
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