The experience of Jock Clear
A long-time engineer, he has worked closely with world champions like Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton. He then became the “performance coach” of Charles Leclerc while specializing in developing young talents within the Ferrari Driver Academy. At 61 years old, Jock Clear is a sort of racing encyclopedia, having seen it all. And today, he’s betting on the talent of Oliver Bearman, whom he nurtured in the FDA and who was recently announced as a full-time driver for Haas starting in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Jock Clear bets on Ollie Bearman
After all, the tension of the big leap to F1 is already behind him. “Ollie” (as everyone calls him in the paddock) has already fast-tracked his debut, driving the Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah when he was called just minutes before the start of FP3 to replace Carlos Sainz, who was sidelined by appendicitis. “Bearman had only done one F2 race,” Jock Clear said on the F1 Nation podcast, “when Fred told me that Carlos wasn’t well and that he was thinking of calling Ollie, hoping he was ready for F1. I told him: ‘He’s ready, I have no doubt he’s ready. You can call him.’” – the British engineer continued.
Ollie is a “slow burner”
A first appearance that, for Jock Clear, was even more positive than the already high level of expectations: “In Saudi Arabia, he proved himself. But the point is that we didn’t need to see what he was doing in F2 to already know he was a guy capable of making it in F1. I think there are drivers who arrive and make a big splash, they handle everything immediately in terms of pressure, knowing what to do, how to manage the car. And then there are others who are slow to build up. It’s ironic to say, but I think Ollie is one of those who burns slowly, not one of those who make a big splash. And that’s why I’m more excited about what he’ll show us in the medium term than in the short term.”
“After Jeddah,” continued the English engineer, “some people told me it would have been interesting to see him in Melbourne too, but I thought: ‘Let’s hope not!’ He had been so good that it would have been beneficial for him to have time to think it over, to consolidate his work. In fact, you couldn’t have written a better script, given the opportunity he later had at Haas. In fact, I believe his performance in Baku was better than the one in Ferrari, because he was very disappointed not to be in Q3. He was fast enough to make it into the top 10 with a Haas. And then the race was very positive too, as he seized the opportunity to pass his teammate. If he’s given time to reflect and develop, he will continue to improve.” – he added.
Why F2 results aren’t everything
Notable performances, which evidently contrast with the lackluster season Bearman is having in the junior series (he’s 15th in the standings, but with the handicap of having missed four races): “In our sport, we’ve always believed that if you win something, you deserve an opportunity. So, if you win F2, it’s right that you go to Formula 1. But it’s a mentality that needs to change. Because while it’s true that you’ll never win F2 without being a good driver, it’s equally true that there are people who haven’t won because things didn’t go well for them in a couple of situations, but who still deserve a chance. You saw it with Norris, for example… Lando finished second when Russell won, but he deserves a place in F1 just as much as George.” – the Ferrari engineer concluded.
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