Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman explains his preparation for Baku with an eye on 2025 F1 season. Oliver Bearman returns to driving in F1, this time with Haas.

Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver Bearman returns to driving in Formula 1, this time with Haas, and the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit will be a full weekend experience ahead of his 2025 debut. The British driver shared in a press conference his excitement about returning to Azerbaijan after his performance last year in Formula 2, even though he acknowledged it was “not under the circumstances I had hoped for,” referring to the fact that he is replacing Kevin Magnussen, who received a race ban.

He described it as “a great opportunity to build my experience and have a full weekend under my belt. Knowing in advance that I would be participating definitely makes it a better experience. I hope to have fun,” he added.

Compared to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, where he was called in last minute to replace the unwell Carlos Sainz, this time Oliver Bearman has been able to prepare more thoroughly for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.

“Knowing I would be racing is a big help, and doing free practice sessions 1 and 2 will help a lot in building the weekend on another street circuit. Also, having the time not to take too many risks. I’ve trained a lot, of course, but I would have done it anyway because I’m racing in Formula 1 next year, and I’m continuing to do so, trying to be in the best possible condition.” – the Ferrari junior explained.

Last year, the young driver, born in 2005, almost hit the wall on the city circuit. It was an experience that helped him grow, and he will try to learn from it in preparation for the upcoming weekend: “On this track, from the outside, it seemed like a very calm weekend, but in every session, I touched the wall, and I tried to stay calm.”

Oliver Bearman aims to “prepare perfectly, taking one session at a time and making the most of my potential. I’ve never done so many F1 sessions before. This time I’ll have free practice 2, and 3. I’ll try to build the weekend, and then the fun will follow.” – the Ferrari Driver Academy member concluded ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.