Although it had become an open secret, Oliver Bearman will officially be a Formula 1 driver starting next year. The young Ferrari Driver Academy driver, fresh from a splendid victory in the F2 sprint race in Austria, will debut in the top category at just 19 years old and will presumably pair with Esteban Ocon, who has long been linked to the American team, although his official confirmation is still pending.
Ollie grows up
“Honestly, until it was finally confirmed after the Red Bull Ring, because in F1, until you put a pen on a piece of paper, it’s not really official,” commented Oliver Bearman on the eve of his home weekend.
“I knew that was what we were working towards and that we were getting there for a while. But you can never celebrate too early because F1 is a fast-evolving world, and you’re only as good as your last race.
“Naturally, I felt relieved when it finally happened. I shared that moment with my manager, who has been with me the whole time, and it was a very emotional moment.” – he explained.
In addition to moving up a category, Oliver Bearman will also change his race number next year, abandoning the 3 for the 87. The Englishman explained the reason for this choice: “I couldn’t choose my number in Jeddah (when he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, editor’s note).
“Even if I could, it was the last of my worries! It’s the number I’ve raced with since the beginning and the number my father raced with because I was born on May 8th, and my brother on August 7th. So, 87 is the favorite number and will continue to be.” – the Ferrari Driver Academy member concluded.
After his historic points debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia and having participated in FP1 in Spain with Haas, Oliver Bearman will once again be at the wheel of the VF-24 in the first free practice session of the Silverstone GP, right in front of his home crowd.
Source: f1ingenerale
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