Oliver Bearman Regains Ferrari-Like Confidence in Upgraded Haas VF-25 Ahead of Belgian Grand Prix
Oliver Bearman approaches his first-ever Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit with renewed optimism, as the Haas rookie targets a much-needed return to the points after enduring eight consecutive races without a top-10 finish.
The 20-year-old British driver had a promising start to his debut Formula 1 season, scoring points in three of the first four races. Ollie Bearman secured an impressive eighth-place result in China, followed by a pair of tenth-place finishes in Bahrain and Japan. However, since then, his form has declined. He has slipped down the championship standings, falling from 11th to 18th place. His team, Haas F1, has experienced a similar drop in performance, plummeting from fifth to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship since the opening round in Bahrain. Heading into the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, only Alpine, with 19 points, has a lower total than Haas’ tally of 29 in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Despite the recent dry spell, Bearman remains upbeat after his first British Grand Prix appearance earlier this month. At Silverstone, he delivered a strong performance, finishing in 11th place for the third consecutive round. The result was particularly encouraging, considering he narrowly missed out on scoring a point, finishing just 1.421 seconds behind fellow Briton George Russell of Mercedes.
His weekend at Silverstone was not without setbacks. Ollie Bearman had to serve a 10-place grid penalty for crashing into the pit entry under red flag conditions during practice. Although he originally qualified eighth—marking his best Saturday result in F1 to date—he was demoted to 18th on the grid. To complicate matters further, he was involved in a collision during the race with teammate Esteban Ocon, which hindered his progress.
Nevertheless, the Ferrari junior took many positives from his home Grand Prix. He shared with Motorsport.com that for the first time since driving for Scuderia Ferrari in 2024, he felt the same level of confidence in the Haas VF-25, attributing this breakthrough to the team’s new two-part upgrade package. He emphasized that Haas had been the fastest of the midfield teams in both qualifying and the race at Silverstone, even managing to battle a Mercedes for a point right up to the final lap. He described the VF-25’s behavior as predictable and responsive, which allowed him to push harder than in previous rounds.
Bearman highlighted that qualifying in eighth place had been a milestone, as it was the first time in his stint with Haas that he could replicate the full confidence he once had driving the Ferrari SF-24. According to the young Briton, the recent updates—particularly the reworked sidepod inlet and redesigned floor—gave him the stability and predictability needed to attack corners aggressively. The sensation, he said, was markedly different from previous races, where even during his best performances, the VF-25 never quite matched the feeling he had during his earlier F1 outings with Ferrari.
Those Ferrari outings in 2024 gave Ollie Bearman a taste of life at the front of the grid. His surprise debut for Scuderia Ferrari came at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he stepped in for Carlos Sainz following the Spaniard’s emergency appendectomy. Despite being in Jeddah originally to compete in Formula 2, Oliver Bearman qualified 11th and crossed the line seventh, making an immediate impression. That drive made him the youngest Formula 1 driver to ever race for Ferrari. Later that year, he also participated in Free Practice 1 during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend in the SF-24.
The upgrades Haas introduced at Silverstone were substantial. The revised sidepod inlet improved airflow management toward the rear of the VF-25, while updates to the floor included refinements to the bodywork, fences, and edge profiles. Ollie Bearman responded well to the changes, which allowed him to reach Q3 for just the second time in 2025 and achieve his best qualifying result thus far.
Looking ahead to Spa, Ollie Bearman is eager to build on the momentum gained at Silverstone. Although he has never raced at the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1, the renewed confidence and familiar feeling he experienced in the upgraded Haas could give him the boost he needs. The combination of upgraded aerodynamics and a more predictable handling balance has left him hopeful of finally ending his points drought in what will be his debut F1 appearance at one of the sport’s most challenging circuits.
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