F1 is a significant step up from F2—not just in terms of the pressure that comes with increased competition, but also the atmosphere that drivers have to contend with. There are far more spectators in the stands, and the noise levels during an F1 weekend can go off the charts.
Former teammates at Prema in the feeder series, Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, appeared for an interview, where they shared how they’re still adjusting to life at the pinnacle of their profession. Bearman explained that during F2, most feature races were scheduled early in the morning, and barely anyone would show up to watch.
Now in F1, however, Bearman has understandably noticed a stark contrast. “Now the stands are completely full. Normally at 6 a.m., when we were doing the F2 feature race, there were only the die-hard fans. But now, like you said, on the grid—it’s insane,” he said to ESPN.
Another thing both Bearman and Antonelli highlighted is the loud music that plays ahead of every F1 race. As newcomers to the top level of motorsport, they’re enjoying it for now, though they admit it might start to become annoying over time.
“I quite like the music as well, it’s quite cool, it gets you,” Bearman added. Antonelli chipped in and added, “It’s very loud“.
Bearman agreed with the Bologna-born driver, stating that the noise is audible even when the loud F1 engines are roaring. “It’s a little bit loud, you can hear it when the car started pretty much“.
Omg twenty one pilots is playing almost directly on the racetrack tonight at Formula 1..
Via Todd Gummerman’s IG. pic.twitter.com/WPdrwNsoSx— MulB̶r̶i̶t̶t̶a̶n̶y̶Street ⊬️ (@RockssMySockss) October 22, 2021
In fact, the music is so loud that Antonelli revealed that the cars begin to shake! “When you jump in the car, everything is vibrating because of the music,” he stated, before agreeing that there’s a chance this could get on their nerves in the future.
“I think in a few races time we’ll be really annoyed at that (loud music), but right now it’s really awesome,” Bearman added. “We enjoy it for now“.
With time, of course, the two talented rookies will get more used to being in F1. Soon, they will learn to ignore the music, as the veterans of the sport presumably have. After all, we don’t hear Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso—both of whom have over 350 race starts—complaining about the DJ post race.
That said, there’s one aspect the two rookies won’t be complaining about—no matter how long they stay in the sport—and that’s the start time of F1 races compared to F2. Since most F1 races begin in the afternoon or evening, Bearman revealed that he’s finally able to get a proper night’s sleep, often clocking in more than eight hours.
“In F1, you can sleep, you know. 11 a.m., no alarm, that’s my type of race weekend,” Bearman said, with a smile.
