Bearman Turns 20: Ferrari’s Borrowed Bullet and Haas’s Big Bet
The Boy Who Borrowed Red
If you’d told me, back in the days when Ferrari’s driver academy was little more than a polite fiction and Haas was a punchline for American ambition, that a 20-year-old Brit would become the Scuderia’s most tantalizing “loaner” since the days of Alain Prost’s brief Maranello sojourn, I’d have asked what you were drinking.
Yet here we are: Oliver Bearman, freshly 20, is not just the future of Ferrari—he’s the present of Haas, and the most scrutinized “borrowed bullet” in Formula 1.
Bearman’s story is already the stuff of Netflix pitches. Plucked from the Ferrari Driver Academy, thrust into the limelight as a last-minute stand-in for Carlos Sainz at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and now, in 2025, the centerpiece of Haas’s resurrection plan.
If you’re looking for a tale of pressure, promise, and paddock politics, you’ve come to the right place.
Oliver Bearman told BBC Sport this week, with the sort of deadpan delivery that makes you wonder if he’s been taking lessons from Kimi Räikkönen.
I really don’t feel any pressure. I just want to do my job and keep learning.
Oliver Bearman, BBC Sport
Watch: Bearman on pressure and his first full F1 season
From Chelmsford to Maranello: The Making of a Modern Prodigy
Bearman’s rise is as methodical as it is meteoric. Born in Chelmsford in 2005, he was karting before most kids learn to tie their shoes.
By 2021, he’d swept both the Italian and German F4 titles—a feat that would have made even Sebastian Vettel’s junior résumé blush. The Ferrari Driver Academy snapped him up, and by 2023, Bearman was making headlines in Formula 2, not least for his historic clean sweep in Baku.
Watch: Bearman’s F2 Clean Sweep in Azerbaijan
His F2 campaign was a study in contrasts: flashes of brilliance, moments of rookie rawness, and a knack for bouncing back from adversity.
But it was his F1 debut for Ferrari—standing in for an appendicitis-stricken Sainz in Jeddah—that truly announced his arrival. Seventh place, points on debut, and a calmness under fire that had even the most jaded tifosi whispering about “il futuro.”
Johnny Herbert, RacingNews365, said:
For me, the thing that proved what he could achieve was in Brazil, a circuit he had never been to before. He seems to be able to adapt and show speed. That is a really good sign for next year which is going to be important for him at Haas to try and dominate Ocon.
The Ferrari-Haas Pipeline: More Than Just a Junior Loan
Let’s be clear: Bearman’s presence at Haas is no ordinary junior placement. Since Gene Haas first rolled his dice in Formula 1, the team has been a curious blend of American pragmatism and Ferrari dependency.
But 2025 marks a new chapter. With Bearman on a multi-year deal and Esteban Ocon as his teammate, Haas is no longer content to be the grid’s polite backmarker.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas’s quietly effective team principal, has made it clear: Bearman isn’t just here to learn—he’s here to lead. The team’s double points finish in China earlier this season (a first since the days of Romain Grosjean’s hair-raising heroics) was no fluke.
Bearman’s feedback, technical acumen, and raw pace have already begun to reshape the team’s culture.
Watch: Haas’ Surprise Double Points Haul in China
Andrew Benson, BBC Sport, said:
He was immediately competitive, but what impressed onlookers just as much was the smooth and mature progress he made. Bearman, though, is one. His track record had already marked him out as a potentially special one.
The Saudi Arabian Baptism: When Opportunity Knocks (and Kicks Down the Door)
Bearman’s F1 debut at Jeddah was the stuff of paddock legend. Called up on Friday morning, he missed all of Thursday’s practice, jumped into the Ferrari, and promptly outqualified half the grid.
Seventh at the flag, ahead of both McLarens and a Mercedes, in a car he’d never raced. The last time Ferrari threw a rookie into the deep end, it was Arturo Merzario in 1972.
The difference? Bearman didn’t just swim—he surfed the waves.
Watch: Bearman’s 48 Hours in F1, From F2 Pole to F1 Points
The paddock’s reaction was immediate. “He’s the real deal,” muttered one Ferrari engineer, off the record. Even Charles Leclerc, not known for effusive praise, was seen congratulating the youngster with genuine warmth.
The British press, of course, went into overdrive—never mind that Bearman’s accent is more Essex than Enzo.
Haas’s Gamble: Betting the Farm on Youth
Haas’s decision to sign Bearman for 2025 was, in some quarters, seen as a risk. After all, the team’s history with rookies is a mixed bag—just ask Mick Schumacher or Nikita Mazepin.
But Bearman is cut from a different cloth. His technical feedback is already drawing comparisons to a young Jenson Button, and his racecraft—particularly in wheel-to-wheel combat—has shades of a certain Michael Schumacher.
Statistically, Bearman’s rookie campaign is off to a solid start. Three points finishes in the first six races, a qualifying average within two-tenths of Ocon, and a best result of sixth in Miami.
For a team that spent much of 2023 and 2024 fighting to escape Q1, this is progress bordering on the miraculous.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas Team Principal, said:
He’s not just quick—he’s clever. He knows how to manage tyres, how to read a race. That’s rare in someone so young.
Ferrari’s Long Game: The Hamilton Succession Plan
Let’s not kid ourselves: Bearman’s future is painted rosso corsa. With Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari in 2025, the Scuderia’s driver lineup is the most star-studded since the days of Schumacher and Barrichello.
But Hamilton is 40 next January, and the clock is ticking. Bearman, still a Ferrari junior, is widely tipped as the heir apparent.
Johnny Herbert, RacingNews365, put it bluntly:
There is a good replacement already there and Ferrari are very aware that he is someone they want to give a chance to when the opportunity arises.
The parallels with Charles Leclerc’s own rise are hard to ignore. Both were blooded at Ferrari customer teams (Leclerc at Sauber, Bearman at Haas), both impressed immediately, and both carry the weight of expectation with a shrug.
The difference? Bearman’s path is even more direct—he’s already raced for Ferrari, and he’s already delivered.
The Numbers Game: How Does Bearman Stack Up?
Let’s indulge in a bit of statistical nostalgia. At 20, Bearman is the third-youngest F1 debutant in history, behind Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll.
His points finish on debut puts him in rare company—only a handful of drivers have managed that feat in the past two decades.
His F2 record is equally impressive: four wins, nine podiums, and a pole position in his rookie season. In F1, his qualifying delta to Ocon is a mere 0.18 seconds—a margin that would make even the most seasoned team principal sit up and take notice.
Read: Who is Ollie Bearman? Ferrari’s shock F1 debutant
The Human Element: Pressure, Personality, and the British Bulldog Spirit
For all the talk of data and destiny, Bearman’s greatest asset may be his temperament. Unflappable in interviews, relentlessly self-critical in debriefs, and quietly charismatic in the garage, he’s won over even the most cynical mechanics.
His social media presence is refreshingly understated—more “thanks to the team” than “look at my watch.”
On Instagram, Bearman’s posts are a mix of behind-the-scenes glimpses and dry British humor. No influencer nonsense, no PR platitudes—just a young man living his dream, one lap at a time.
Instagram: Bearman’s official account
Lessons from History: The Perils and Promise of F1’s Young Guns
Of course, Formula 1 is littered with the wreckage of “next big things.” For every Lewis Hamilton, there’s a Jean Alesi; for every Max Verstappen, a Jan Magnussen.
The sport is ruthless, and the hype machine even more so. But Bearman’s trajectory feels different—not just because of his results, but because of the infrastructure around him.
Ferrari’s academy, once a revolving door, is now a genuine talent pipeline. Haas, under Komatsu, is a team reborn. And Bearman himself? He’s got the humility to learn, the hunger to win, and the backing of two of the sport’s most storied names.
The Road Ahead: What Next for Bearman, Haas, and Ferrari?
As Bearman celebrates his 20th birthday, the questions multiply. Can he lead Haas into the midfield proper? Will he be the man to succeed Hamilton at Ferrari?
And, perhaps most tantalizingly, can he become Britain’s next world champion?
The answers, as ever in Formula 1, will come not from press releases or Instagram posts, but from the stopwatch. For now, Bearman is exactly where he needs to be: learning, racing, and—just occasionally—reminding us all why we fell in love with this sport in the first place.
Happy birthday, Ollie. The real work starts now.
Waste a bit more time
- Bearman: “I really don’t feel any pressure” (BBC Sport)
- Bearman’s F2 Clean Sweep in Azerbaijan (YouTube)
- Bearman’s 48 Hours in F1, From F2 Pole to F1 Points (YouTube)
- Ferrari told it already has ‘ready-made’ Hamilton replacement (RacingNews365)
- Who is Ollie Bearman? Ferrari’s shock F1 debutant (The Race)
- Bearman’s official Instagram
