Oliver Bearman’s dad David accompanied him to Imola ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP weekend, and the picture of them walking down the paddock drew comparisons to the duo of Max, and his father Jos Verstappen. Instead of choosing to brush these under the carpet, however, Bearman’s father dropped in a cryptic emoji, leaving much to ponder.
F1 Photojournalist Kym Illman posted a picture of Oliver and David on his Instagram account under which, a fan commented, “His father had shades of Jos.”
Shortly thereafter, David Bearman replied to the comment with a ‘thinking’ emoji.
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Verstappen’s father had a huge role to play in helping the Dutchman get to F1. He helped him develop since his karting days, and was right next to him all the time, even when he made it to F1. In 2021, when Max finally fulfilled his dream of winning the World Championship, he shared a special moment with Jos in the paddock.
A touching moment as Max and Jos Verstappen are congratulated by Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/5n2uaLrfr2
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
Bearman and his father too, will be hoping for similar levels of success. However, there will be something David Bearman wouldn’t want to associate himself with when it comes to the Jos Verstappen comparisons.
Is David Bearman as harsh on Oliver as Jos was on Max Verstappen?
Jos Verstappen has undeniably contributed towards making Max the star that he is today. But often, he has been accused of being too harsh on the Red Bull driver. Known for having a short temper, Jos wanted Max to make no mistakes.
Any errors he would make would be dealt with, with a severe punishment. For instance, Max recalled how his father once left him alone at a deserted gas station. Because he messed up his performance in a karting tournament.
“He kicked me out and he drove off … and this is in the south of Italy.”
Max Verstappen recalls when his father Jos left him at a gas station after a karting mistake at 14 years old and how it molded him into the man and world champion we see today. https://t.co/k9vFkiEbEy
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 5, 2022
Bearman’s father has not had to deal with similar accusations to date. And he will be hoping to stay away from them. Presumably, the comparisons made by fans are based more on the way David resembles Jos, and less on the way he behaves.
On the other hand, he will be looking to get Oliver to F1 and achieve more success. Similar to what Jos did for Max.
As things stand, Oliver Bearman is close to getting a full-time seat in F1. Haas is the favorite to sign the Briton, having already vacated Nico Hulkenberg’s seat ahead of the 2025 season. After what the 18-year-old did in Jeddah, it would be quite shocking to see him on the sidelines next year.
