Oliver Bearman, one of 2024’s biggest revelations in F1, did not have to wait too long to secure his seat in the pinnacle of motorsport. Midway into the year, he knew he would be suiting up for Haas come the 2025 Australian GP. While he has been in and around the F1 paddock — stepping in for Haas as a substitute — Bearman cannot wait for his official stint to begin.
The Ferrari junior driver’s Haas appointment was confirmed in June. By then, he had already taken part in one F1 race — as Carlos Sainz’s replacement in Jeddah where he finished P7. But it was enough for Haas to place its faith in him.
“I just want it to be Australia already,” Bearman said with a laugh, during a Pirelli segment.
BREAKING: Ollie Bearman will make the step up to F1 in 2025, signing a multi-year deal with @HaasF1Team!#F1 #RoadToF1 @OllieBearman pic.twitter.com/JVGbwU8XvE
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 4, 2024
Bearman admitted that sorting out his future so far in advance took some of the pressure off. Yet, the wait for something greater continues to test his patience.
“It’s annoying because I really want it to be now,” the 19-year-old added. “I’ve been working really hard these months to ensure that when the time comes, I’m ready. But I really struggle with patience.”
Thankfully, fate intervened before Bearman had to openly express his restlessness about becoming a full-time F1 driver next season.
Bearman’s 2024 dress-rehearsals
In Saudi Arabia, Bearman drove for Ferrari, allowing him to rub shoulders with the front-runners and he impressed many in the paddock. But that was a one-off outing for him because he had only filled in for Sainz until he recovered from appendicitis.
Bearman faded into the sidelines once again, only for future employers Haas to call him up — not just for rookie FP1 sessions, but to participate in an entire Grand Prix weekend, not once, but twice.
Bearman replaced Kevin Magnussen at the 2024 Azerbaijan GP when the Dane received a one-race ban for accumulating 12 penalty points on his super license. Once again, the 19-year-old showed how talented he was by finishing P10 in Baku, earning a valuable point for the Kannapolis-based outfit.
Then again, in Sao Paulo last weekend, when Magnussen was ruled out because of an illness, in came Bearman. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as happy a race for him as Jeddah and Baku were, as he finished out of the points in 12th. Nonetheless, valuable experience for him before the real deal kicks in.
