The 2025 F1 season has seen a massive influx of rookie drivers to the grid, with six youngsters starting their full-time F1 careers. However, one of these rookies, Oliver Bearman, had a bit of a head start last season when he got the chance to race in three one-off appearances for Ferrari and Haas, respectively.
And the way he performed in those races for both teams showed that he was ready to take the step up to the pinnacle of motorsport. Especially, Bearman’s performance for Ferrari at last year’s Saudi Arabian GP really put the spotlight on him, as the 19-year-old finished P7 in his maiden Grand Prix around the Jeddah Corniche circuit, which is one of the toughest tracks on the calendar.
Moreover, with Bearman beating top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris that weekend, it showcased his potential. What made his performance even more impressive was that he had to jump into the Ferrari car on very short notice after Carlos Sainz fell ill and had to undergo appendicitis surgery.
However, the 2025 Haas driver does not think of that performance of his as impressive, as he called himself an “idiot” for the way he drove. “If I look back at myself from one year ago, I feel like an absolute idiot. Some of the laps and some of the lines I was doing were really bad,” Bearman said per the Race.
While he did acknowledge how it was “tough” for him to do well at a tricky street track with just one practice session under his belt in F1 machinery, claiming he was an idiot was a bit far-fetched. 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill said the same by putting a positive twist on Bearman’s comments.
“Well, if that’s idiot level…can’t wait for genius”, Hill wrote on his Instagram story.
Damon Hill gees up Oliver Bearman after the British youngster claimed that he would’ve seemed like an idiot at last year’s Saudi Arabian GP pic.twitter.com/xB9omGdnLN
— Motorsport Fan (@F1IndyWEC) April 19, 2025
And the former Williams driver cannot be more right about the 19-year-old’s potential. Even though the young Briton is on a learning curve and honing his skills in his rookie season in F1, he has shown tremendous skill to pull off some amazing overtakes and score points for Haas at three out of the four Grands Prix so far in 2025.
In Bahrain last weekend, he was supremely good as even after qualifying dead last in 20th, the Briton climbed through the field to finish P10 at the chequered flag and clinch one crucial point. While this performance did go under the radar, it showcased how quickly Bearman is evolving.
Relative to his peer rookie drivers like Kimi Antonelli, the Haas driver has a slower mechanical package, which does underscore how impressive he has been to score points. On the other hand, Antonelli is expected to score points every weekend, given that the Mercedes car is presumably the second-fastest on the current grid.
So, with Bearman not fighting for the top points-scoring finishes, it is possible that most of his performances go under the radar. However, if he continues to perform the way he is, he too is likely to get a seat at a top team like Mercedes, like his former F2 teammate.
