Oliver Bearman is set to make his full-time debut in the upcoming season, but he’s no stranger to the demands of F1. That’s a detail he’d like the paddock to forget.
Bearman first stepped in as a substitute for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP, where he impressed with a P7 finish. Instantly, he became one of the most exciting young talents on the grid, sparking a flurry of interest from teams eager to secure his signature.
Haas ultimately got the Briton on board for 2025, after which he competed in two more races — in Azerbaijan and Brazil.
However, ahead of the new campaign, Bearman wants to prepare just like any other rookie would.
During the press conference ahead of F1 75 — a special 10-team car launch event celebrating the sport’s 75th anniversary — Bearman expressed his desire to be recognized as a rookie, even though, technically, he isn’t one.
“Yes, I would still consider myself a rookie,” the 19-year-old said. “There are still tracks I haven’t raced on, and I haven’t completed a full season in Formula 1, which makes me a rookie in my eyes.”
Bearman isn’t alone in this gray area. He pointed out that other drivers on the grid have also been classified as rookies despite having prior experience.
One such example could be Liam Lawson, who has already competed in 11 races in 2023 and 2024 but will only secure full-time status when he makes his Red Bull debut this year.
Another reason why Bearman’s a rookie
F1’s schedule has become increasingly hectic, with drivers getting less time in the off-season to prepare for the demanding schedule ahead.
This means, teams don’t take part in testing as much as they used to, which affects the preparation time for those behind the wheel. For the veterans, this isn’t the biggest issue as they are pretty much familiar with the entire calendar.
For rookies like Bearman, however, it’s not possible to figure out the intricacies of each track via only simulator testing and hit the ground running.
“There are certainly some rookies who have covered more kilometers in Formula 1 than me and are still official rookies,” Bearman explains. Therefore, it is “a bit harsh” to no longer call himself a rookie.
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It’s even worse for the completely new rookies like Gabriel Bortoleto and Kimi Antonelli, who have barely taken part in one or two FP1 sessions before. That’s where Bearman’s ever-so-slight experience could come in handy.
Because of the Haas driver’s three one-off appearances in 2024, he will have a better idea of what to expect from the cars and could settle in much quicker, even if he hasn’t raced at multiple tracks.
