Ferrari Driver Academy member feels "I have what it takes for Formula 1"

Ferrari Driver Academy member feels “I have what it takes for Formula 1”. Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman opens up on his motorsport future.

Oliver Bearman’s Debut
During the first free practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix, which can be used by teams to field a rookie during the season, five rookie drivers made their first official appearance in Formula 1. Among them, driving for Haas, there was British driver Oliver Bearman, an 18-year-old from the Ferrari Driver Academy currently competing in the Formula 2 championship with PREMA.

A Notable Result
In the mini-ranking reserved for new faces, Oliver Bearman finished ahead of his fellow rookies, ending in 15th place overall with a six-tenths advantage over Isack Hadjar, who was driving for AlphaTauri. The Englishman, who, in his first year in the lower-tier of Formula 1, boasts four victories, has inevitably caught the attention of fans. They had already seen him in action with Ferrari during a private test session at Fiorano with the 2021 car in preparation for the practice sessions.

Future in F1?
The 2021 Italian and German Formula 4 champion, who was promoted to F2 after just one year in Formula 3, was asked by the media about his thoughts on a full-time commitment to Formula 1. His response was full of self-assuredness: “I think I have what it takes,” he said. “In my mind, there are no doubts, but that alone is not enough to make it to Formula 1. There’s much more behind the scenes, and I just need to keep focusing on myself. I have to do a good job in F2 next year, and if it’s enough, it’s enough. Otherwise, I don’t know what to say.” – the Ferrari Driver Academy member pointed out.

First Impressions
Oliver Bearman, who impressed Haas Technical Director Ayao Komatsu, described the emotions he felt both at Fiorano and especially in Mexico: “I drove the 2021 car a couple of weeks ago, and it was at the maximum grip and performance,” he added. “With the altitude of Mexico City, especially at the start and with an unknown tire, it was quite slippery. It felt like I was back in F2, so it was really nice. As the track improved, I got more comfortable. You don’t realize how fast you’re going until you brake and think, ‘Wait, I won’t be able to hit that apex!’ Visibility was really difficult, so I struggled to orient myself, especially in the early laps. I had to rely on feel rather than sight, so it was an interesting novelty to get used to. I wanted to get comfortable with heavy braking right away; I preferred to overstep rather than build up slowly. You just have to trust the car, and I managed to do that fairly quickly. It was tough, but I felt like I got the most out of it, even though the fast lap left something to be desired.” – the Ferrari junior concluded.