Carlos Sainz waves the white flag: #55 will not race this weekend’s Grand Prix. Who is Oliver Bearman, the Ferrari driver for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah?
On his SF-24, he will carry the number 38 and be the first Briton to wear the Red colors since 1999 with Eddie Irvine (preceding Lewis Hamilton). Oliver Bearman will be the first rookie to race for Ferrari since 1972 (Arturo Merzario) and is the youngest driver ever to compete for the Prancing Horse (18 years old, turning 19 in May).
Ollie Bearman is currently engaged in Formula 2 for his second season, and precisely in Jeddah, in the qualifying of the feeder series, he secured the Pole Position. His debut in Bahrain was not ideal for Prema; the Englishman’s pole, despite not having the chance to convert it into a victory due to his F1 commitments, was a breath of fresh air and confirmed the potential of the young Ferrari Driver Academy pilot.
Oliver Bearman won four races in his debut F2 season, one less than Vesti but with 3 Feature Race victories: he was the driver with the most wins on the 2023 grid.
Overview of his career: from the beginning to the Haas debut
Fresh from a test at Fiorano with the 2021 Ferrari, where he drove a Formula 1 car for the first time, the English driver is now ready for his race weekend debut. Oliver Bearman is the most promising young talent of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and last year in Mexico, he had another taste of F1 by driving for Haas in FP1. Let’s take a closer look at who he is and where his career stands in the junior formulas.
Who is Oliver Bearman, the Ferrari talent: the profile
Born in Chelmsford, United Kingdom, and having just turned eighteen a few months ago (born on May 8, 2005), Bearman is a fan of TV series (including Breaking Bad), with Lionel Messi as his football idol. His favorite dish is Margherita pizza; he excelled in mathematics and English at school, and his good luck charm is a sixpence, an old UK currency coin.
Introduction to karting and the rise in F4
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His karting career began at the age of 8 in a club race; he claimed his first title in 2017 with a victory at the Kartmasters British Grand Prix. His success in karting reached its peak in 2019 with a victory in the Junior X30 class at the Valencia World Cup, also winning in the European series and eventually becoming the world champion in Le Mans.
In 2020, he transitioned to single-seaters with a full season in the German F4 and part-time in the Italian F4. He secured two podiums and a victory in Germany, and a victory and a podium in Italy, all with the US Racing team. In 2021, he stayed consistently in both championships with the Van Amersfoort team, dominating both.
Six wins in German F4 and an impressive eleven in Italian F4 brought the Englishman into the spotlight, catching the attention of Ferrari.
Jump to F3: An excellent rookie season
Normally, after Formula 4, one would expect a move to Formula Regional (a category recently won by Andrea Kimi Antonelli). However, after winning the FDA Scouting World Finals, he joined the Ferrari Academy and signed directly with Prema in Formula 3.
His first race was immediately successful with a podium in the Bahrain sprint, but at Imola, he scored zero points due to a five-second penalty for an incident in the Feature Race. The turning point came at Silverstone, where Bearman returned to a high level. Third in a race that meant a lot to him in front of his home crowd, he secured three more third places in the subsequent Feature Races.
In Belgium, he claimed his first victory in the sprint race, while a setback in the Netherlands complicated his title chances. Nevertheless, his impressive overtaking maneuvers at Zandvoort, with two well-executed outside passes, left a lasting impression. At Monza, despite missing out on the title in favor of Victor Martins, Bearman secured two second places. At the end of the year, he accumulated 132 points, finishing in third place overall.
His remarkable rookie season earned him a promotion to the Prema F2 team alongside Frederik Vesti for 2023.
The F2 season: Some lows, but breathtaking highs!
As expected, the transition to Formula 2 is never easy. In a competitive grid like this year’s, adapting to a very different car at such a young age and dealing with new variables like pit stops can be a lengthy and crucial process in the fight for immediate success.
The initial races proved to be challenging, with a zero in Bahrain, a retirement (not his fault), and a spin in Jeddah, and struggles in Melbourne. However, Baku finally showcased his immense capabilities. A pole lap with a misaligned steering wheel and two victories in two races decidedly revitalized Bearman’s championship campaign.
A stumble in Monaco preceded another great weekend in Barcelona, with a pole and a win in the main race. While consistently scoring points, he only managed one podium in the sprint in Hungary and a pole in Spa (where he received a penalty for an incident, losing the podium). Until the summer break, his performances were consistently in the points, with a pole and two podiums in Silverstone.
The Zandvoort weekend was strong performance-wise but ended with zero points. The sprint in the Netherlands was rendered null due to rain (noteworthy for a great outside overtake, the only one in the race), making the third-place finish irrelevant; in the Feature Race, he was eliminated by Martins. At Monza, Bearman continued to show great pace, dominating the Feature Race after surprising Pourchaire at the clutch release.
A significant record
Oliver Bearman is the only Formula 2 driver to win all races in a weekend and secure pole in that same weekend. Both Felipe Drugovich in Barcelona in 2021 and Oscar Piastri in Jeddah in 2022 won two races in their respective instances. However, in the Brazilian’s case, who won both scheduled races, the pole went to Jack Doohan; in the Australian’s case, despite securing pole, the perfect weekend eluded him due to a failure to win one of the sprints, taken by Marcus Armstrong.
Source: f1ingenerale
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