Oliver Bearman is set to fulfil his dream and become a full time F1 driver for Haas next season. The young `British driver was hailed as a phenomenon when he stepped up in Jeddah this season as a substitute for Carlos Sainz who was stricken with appendicitis.
With just one practice session available to Bearman he qualified the Ferrari in P11 and a steady drive in the 2024 Saudi Grand Prix saw him come home in seventh place. Scoring points on F1 debut would always see Bearman become the talk of the paddock yet his season in F2 is now in tatters.
Formula One’s main feeder series was inaugurated back in 2005 and then for political purposes named GP2, but under whichever guise the championship has served up a number of drivers who have become successful in F1.
F2/GP2 success stories
Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Oscar Piastri all became champions on the rung below F1 at their first attempt which has seen them progress to become Grand Prix winners and for Rosberg and Hamilton F1 drivers’ championship material.
Nico Hulkenberg was also a winer of GP2 in his first season and whilst he remains the driver with the most F1 starts and no podium, his services have been mostly in demand since his championship GP2 year in 2009.
By way of contrast, Oliver Bearman is having a nightmare of a season in F2. He currently sits P15 out of 22 competitors and has just a Sprint win to his name in the series as he prepares for his F1 adventure next year with Haas F1. Ex-Ferrari boss Peter Windsor now questions the young Brit’s readiness for F1.
“He’s got his Formula One deal now and he was doing all the Formula One stuff. And that’s obviously affected his driving, but it shouldn’t,” Windsor suggests on his YouTube channel.
Marko: Ricciardo not good enough
Bearman mistakes questionable
Bearman is in his second year in F2 and clearly isn’t not going to win this year’s title and history shows that only the best in the feeder series become successful in F1.
There are GP2/F2 champions who never got to race in F1 including Davide Valsecchi and Fabio Leimer both title winners in 2012 & 2013 respectively. Pierre Gasly won the title in his second full year in the feeder series as did Mick Schumacher, while Nyck de Vries won it at his third attempt.
Oliver Bearman’s problems in F2 are well documented and whilst the team has been at fault on a number of occasions, Windsor questions the young Brit’s readiness for F1 and cites his experience in Emilia-Romagne as evidence of that fact.
“With Ollie Bearman, it kind of all changed when he stalled in the pits at Imola and he had the feature race sewn up.” Oliver had started in P2 but his efforts were undone when he twice stalled in the pits finishing the race in P19 when the win was within his grasp.
Just two F1 champs from GP2
Another driver with stellar junior career includes Stoffell Vandoorme. He was Hamilton-esque in terms of wins before arriving in F1 yet with Fernando Alonso for a team mate in his rookie year and a “GP2” engine in the back of his McLaren meant the Dutch protege never fulfilled his potential.
In light of this history its now surprising that Oliver Bearman has been promoted to the F1 top table. The hype over his Jeddah performance has surely been overstated and it could be the young British driver becomes a one season wonder.
GP2/F2 results are not the only indicator of a drivers potential in F1 given both Sebastian Vettel a four times world champion and Max Verstappen soon to repeat the feat, bypassed the feeder series altogether.
Further only the first two champions of GP2 in Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have gone on to become F1 drivers’ champions so external circumstances can affect the prospects of those coming into Formula One.
Antonelli a better option
Whilst not yet announced by Mercedes, Bearman’s Prema F2 team mate appears to have his name written in the stars. “The great Kimi” as Windsor describes him. “I think he is looking pretty good. There’s no reason to think that he wouldn’t be, isn’t going to be really good. So I think he’s there and Mercedes are probably right to put so much effort and focus on him.”
Kimi Antonelli is strongly tipped to be Mercedes’ replacement for the departing Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff when caught on the back foot by Hamilton’s announcement he was off to Ferrari instinctively suggested it could be time for Mercedes to make a “bold move” in their driver recruitment.
Unlike Bearman, Antonelli has not competed in Formula One as of yet, but his F2 rookie season is going well with the Italian driver sitting P7 in the driver standings.
Bearman’s impressive Saudi Grand Prix in the Ferrari was also at a time when the Maranello team were riding high and second to Red Bull Racing. Whether Oliver would have the same kind of results now Mercedes and McLaren have moved ahead of the Italian squad is a legitimate question.
Team mate Ocon will do no favours
Oliver Bearman will not have an easy time in his debut season at Haas F1 given the team has recruited the notorious Esteban Ocon as his experienced team mate. While the French driver is undoubtably quick as he demonstrated by winning the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, he has been accused of being a selfish driver and uncompromising with his team mates as demonstrated tis year in Monaco.
As Peter Windsor states, Oliver Bearman is set for a baptism of fire next year with Haas and without the advantages history afforded the likes of Rosberg and Hamilton, his future promise for now is just a finger in the wind.
Surprise driver wants Verstappen as team mate
Horner allegations: Next steps for female accuse
When better than to get rid of bad news than during the summer Formula One summer break when fans and paddock folk alike are otherwise engaged? A second independent investigative process has now considered the appeal from a female employee who claims team boss Christian Horner behaved ‘inappropriately’ towards her.
Red Bull Racing began this season engulfed in a huge media scrum as details emerged that their team boss had been accused by a female employee. Her complaint was considered by an independent KC (Kings Counsel) and finally rejected.
That decision was announced via a brief Red Bull GmbH statement that said an unspecified “grievance” had been “dismissed”. It said the report was “confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned”.. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
