After concluding the final round of this year’s FIA Formula 2 championship, Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman headed to Japan to participate in his inaugural Super Formula test session.
The young Ferrari Academy Driver, who surprised many with three F1 race outings this season, stepped into a Super Formula car for the first time last week. The British talent, set to debut as a full-time F1 driver for Haas next season, piloted one of KCMG’s Toyota-powered Dallara SF23s. This is the same car previously driven by Toyota WEC star Kamui Kobayashi.
Oliver Bearman’s opportunity came as part of the partnership between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing, announced earlier this year. The 19-year-old completed the session with an impressive third-fastest time, trailing field leader Igor Omura Fraga by just eight-tenths of a second. Over the course of the day, Bearman completed 50 laps on Suzuka’s iconic figure-eight circuit, pushing the limits on one of Japan’s most demanding tracks.
“I had so much fun. My first time in Suzuka, and I was really happy to run here,” the Ferrari junior pointed out – “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.” – he added.
“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.”
Looking back on his day at Suzuka, Oliver Bearman shared that a technical problem cut his track time short. Despite the setback, he expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to gain valuable experience on the notoriously demanding circuit.
“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. 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 explained . “When I come back next year for the F1 race, I’ll be in a much better position.”
The three-day test welcomed public attendance, and on Thursday, Oliver Bearman took to the track. Unsurprisingly, enthusiastic Japanese fans showed up in droves, with hundreds eager for the chance to meet the British driver, secure a signature, or snap a photo with him.
“The fan turnout for a test was the best I’ve ever seen,” the Ferrari junior continued – “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.” – Ollie Bearman concluded.
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