Oliver Bearman made his second FP1 appearance of the season for Haas at the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday. The Briton is due to appear in four more before the campaign is out.
He memorably made his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian GP back in March. Carlos Sainz had to withdraw with appendicitis, prompting Ferrari to call him up.
Bearman finished seventh – the best result for a debutant since 2015 – and won the driver of the day award. But unless Kevin Magnussen receives a race ban, he’s unlikely to feature in another race this year.
Instead, his focus will be on his remaining FP1 outings with Haas, as well as his F2 campaign. He finished 19th in Friday’s session, two places and two tenths below Magnussen.
Bearman is poised to graduate to F1 with the American team in 2025. Nico Hulkenberg is joining Sauber/Audi, which leaves a clear vacancy.
The 18-year-old did endure a disappointing afternoon in F2 qualifying as he had to settle for P15 on the grid. Prema teammate Kimi Antonelli was fifth.
Damon Hill says Oliver Bearman ‘confidence’ will serve him well in F1
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 on Thursday, Bearman said he had ‘a high level of self-confidence’ on the back of his Jeddah heroics. He no longer feels that he has to ‘over-push’ to prove himself.
Reacting to that interview in commentary, 1996 world champion Damon Hill suggested that the teenager had the mentality to succeed in F1. He feels there’s no room for self-doubt at this level.
“It’s quite an extraordinary level of confidence to actually be confident, and then be able to say it as well,” Hill said. “He is very confident and that’s a good sign because it can be intimidating.
“You’ve got to come into this with a very good head, this sport. You’ve got to be sure that you’re in the right place. And I think he knows that.
“He’s knows he’s got the ability, he’s got the head you need. He likes driving and working with the team.”
What Jenson Button said after Bearman made FP1 debut in 2023
Bearman is now becoming increasingly accustomed to driving an F1 car on a race weekend. He’s logged four FP1 outings with Haas in addition to standing in for Sainz in the spring.
2009 champion Jenson Button was impressed with the Ferrari youngster right from the outset. According to Sky F1 colleague Rachel Brookes, the former McLaren driver ‘said he was great’ in his practice debut at last year’s Mexican GP.
Brookes expects Haas to announce the signing of Bearman within the next couple of weeks. She pointed out that the British Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time could be an opportune moment.
Uncertainty remains over the identity of his teammate. Magnussen is out of contract at the end of the season and could be replaced by Esteban Ocon.
Ocon would offer a somewhat daunting benchmark for the rookie. A race-winner in Hungary in 2021, he’s scored three podiums overall in a 142-race F1 career.
Bearman will likely be joined by Antonelli on the grid next year. However, with the Italian set to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, they’re unlikely to be direct competitors.
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