Bearman is currently in his second season in the F1 feeder series. In 2023, he participated in his first season and finished sixth in the standings. Before that, in 2022, he competed in F3 and secured third place in the standings.
Although Bearman didn’t achieve immediate success in winning the F2 Championship like some other drivers, such as Oscar Piastri, he made a strong impression when he made his F1 debut last week in Jeddah. He stepped in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who was undergoing surgery for appendicitis. Despite having limited preparation time, Bearman narrowly missed out on qualifying and delivered an impressive performance in the race, finishing seventh and earning points. This accomplishment is even more remarkable considering the pressure of driving for the renowned Ferrari team.
When evaluating Bearman’s performance in Saudi Arabia, Vasseur praised his calm approach throughout the weekend. Despite the reminders of his young age and the expectations associated with driving for Ferrari, Bearman managed to stay focused on the main objective and not get caught up in unnecessary details. Vasseur was particularly impressed with how Bearman handled the challenges of a shortened weekend without the opportunity to participate in FP1 and FP2. He seamlessly transitioned into qualifying and demonstrated a strong performance in Jeddah.
In addition to his F1 debut, Bearman also had the opportunity to test the F1-75 car in Fiorano as part of Ferrari’s previous car testing program. The team shared a video of Bearman’s testing session on their official Twitter account.
In an interview with Sky Sports F1 after the race, the French driver expressed his surprise at the impressive performance of his teammate, Ollie. He commended Ollie for his gradual progress throughout the weekend, particularly in the qualifying session where he narrowly missed out on Q3. Despite initial concerns about the start and pit stop procedures, Ollie remained composed and flawlessly executed the race, even increasing his speed towards the end when Norris and Hamilton were closing in. Overall, it was a remarkable achievement. The driver also praised Ollie’s solid performance throughout the event, highlighting his mistake-free approach, valuable feedback, and calm demeanor on the radio. The Ferrari team manager, when asked about Ollie’s future in F1, acknowledged the possibility but emphasized the need for him to remain focused on his upcoming challenge in F2. Although this weekend’s race had its costs, including Ollie losing his pole position in F2, he will have opportunities to participate in FP1 sessions this year. Following the Saudi GP, Ollie had the chance to drive the 2022 F1-75 Ferrari car at the Fiorano track as part of the team’s program.