Written by Vyas Ponnuri
After much anticipation and hype, Haas have announced Ollie Bearman as one of their drivers racing for the American team next season. Bearman currently serves as a reserve driver for both Haas as well as the works Ferrari team, and has already deputised for the Italian team earlier this season.
Bearman has dovetailed his FP1 sessions for both Haas as well as Ferrari in the last 12 months, and is also set to continue what will be his integration into the American outfit by taking part in FP1 at his home round in Silverstone.
The youngster from Chelmsford currently races for Prema Racing in Formula 2, as he comes off victory at the Austrian sprint race last weekend. The victory was much overdue for the Briton, coming at a crucial time, as the Formula 2 season headed into the second half at Austria.
Bearman's Formula 2 campaign has been dictated by torrid luck, as engine failures and slow pit stops have caused him to lose valuable points. Additionally, inefficient showings by Prema Racing has cost them as well as their drivers in multiple rounds, including the season opener in Bahrain.
This up-and-down nature of their campaign can be perfectly put into picture by the events at Sunday's feature race at the Red Bull Ring, when Bearman was out with an engine issue, while teammate Antonelli stalled in the pit lane, capping off a torrid race outside the points.
Bearman was also on pole at Jeddah earlier, but was forced to give up his Formula 2 position, and two championship points, after a late call-up saw him deputise at Ferrari for Carlos Sainz, who pulled out after coming down with appendicitis after free practice on Friday.
With one practice session's worth of experience in a Formula One car, Bearman would qualify 11th on the grid for Sunday's race, an excellent performance for a driver with only one practice session under his belt, around a fast and unforgiving track of Jeddah's nature.
He would move up during the race, scrapping with Yuki Tsunoda in the VCARB on the safety car restart, eventually finishing seventh amidst three of his fellow countrymen, George Russell, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton.
Bearman's stand-in appearance earned praise from all corners, most notably from his podium-finishing teammate Charles Leclerc, while triple world champion Max Verstappen too heaped praise on Bearman for his adaptability and speed under such circumstances.
Thus, even though Bearman's Formula 2 season hasn't matched the towering highs of his debut season in 2023, when he finished sixth with 130 points to his name, it's his consistent FP1 appearances and one Jeddah stand-in that convinced Haas to sign a rookie for the first time in three years.
While Haas have been particularly averse to signing rookies ever since they signed Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin back in 2021, they are finally set to welcome the youngster from Chelmsford to their camp in 2025 on a full-time role, as they seek to put the learnings from their past to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Bearman was delighted to sign for Haas, profusely thanking those who had stood by him all along:
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud.
“To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible. To Gene [Haas, team owner], Ayao [Komatsu, Haas Team Principal] and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.
“To everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”
With Bearman penning a multi-year contract at the American team, it shows the commitment of the team to nurture the budding youngster, and familiarise him with the ups and downs of Formula One, and set him up for a bright future in the sport.