“I Consider Him a Dear Friend”: Oliver Bearman on His Relationship With Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman at the Formula 1 United States of America Grand Prix 2024

Since the world of Formula Racing is very competitive, a driver’s teammate is often their biggest enemy, and such a rivalry can often lead to tensions. However, Prema teammates Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli get along very well.

Speaking about his relationship with the 18-year-old Italian, Bearman said, “Kimi is a very fast driver, that’s for sure. Then he’s a good guy, I consider him a dear friend and I’m happy that we’ll be together in F1,” as per Auto Racer.

Last season in F2, the duo were pretty much wheel-to-wheel, competing against each other for results. But going into 2025, their fates could not be more different. Next year, Bearman will race for a backmarker like Haas, while Antonelli will race for a top side like Mercedes.

With Bearman set to race for a team that is not expected to compete at the sharp end of the grid, the expectations from him are likely to be lower, and hence, he may find it easier to adjust to life in F1. However, the same cannot be said about Antonelli.

Kimi Antonelli predicted to find life in F1 tough

The hype around Antonelli has been phenomenal in the last two years. Picked up by Mercedes, the 18-year-old is being hailed as the rookie of his generation.

But with all of this hype also comes insurmountable pressure. The biggest concern for Antonelli is the fact that despite his proven racing talent, he might not be able to sustain the scrutiny that an F1 driver gets.

The fact that he will be replacing Lewis Hamilton on the team will only make matters worse for him. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko too believes that Antonelli’s career could be in danger if he “tries to force it“. The Austrian has advised the young Italian to remain patient and “build himself up slowly” if he wants to find his feet in F1.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Haas Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Oliver Bearman

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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