Oliver Bearman, the newly turned eighteen-year-old British driver, has now established himself as the top talent of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Alongside him in Formula 2, we find Arthur Leclerc, who is facing many challenges this season. While waiting for the other young drivers of the FDA to make their way to F2, some rumors strongly suggest that Ollie will make his Formula 1 debut by the end of this year. Below are the details.
Bearman One Step Away from Formula 1
The performances displayed by Ollie have even astonished the management of the Prancing Horse Academy. After a successful career in karting, the British driver moved to Formula 4 in 2021 and immediately clinched both the German and Italian championships. This earned him a promotion to Formula 3. Although Ferrari had originally planned for Bearman to spend two years in that category, as the more experienced Leclerc was their hope for the 2022 Formula 3 title, the British driver completely outshone the Monegasque pilot, finishing third behind Victor Martins and Zane Maloney. Meanwhile, young Arthur Leclerc only secured the sixth position. With nothing more to prove, Oliver Bearman was promoted to Formula 2, still following a two-year plan, and he stayed with the Prema Powerteam, just as he had in the previous categories he had raced in.
As the mid-season break arrives, the British driver finds himself in sixth place in the championship standings, with 102 points. He has already won two races in Baku and Barcelona, putting pressure on Vesti and Pourchaire, who are fighting for the title. His double victory in Azerbaijan has etched his name into the record books, making him only the sixth driver, since this format’s inception in 2005, to achieve such a feat. Although, realistically, Bearman might still finish third in the Formula 2 championship, Ferrari intends to keep him in the category for another year, even though he will have enough superlicense points to move up to Formula 1.
Maranello’s team plan, however, is to bring him into F1 in 2025 when more seats will be available. Despite this, the Englishman’s ascent to the pinnacle of motorsport continues to progress. According to some reports, Ollie will have the opportunity to drive Haas’ single-seater during the first free practice session of the United States Grand Prix at COTA. Moreover, he might also participate in the Pirelli tests in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season, right alongside Ferrari.
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