Oliver Bearman is a British racing driver who is currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Prema Racing.
He is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and has served as a reserve driver for both Scuderia Ferrari and Haas F1 Team in Formula One.
Bearman made his Formula One debut for Ferrari in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, substituting for the ill Carlos Sainz Jr.
He impressed by finishing seventh on his debut. This led to Haas signing Bearman to a multi-year contract to make his full-season debut in Formula 1 in 2025.
Prior to reaching Formula 2, Bearman was the 2021 champion in both the Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championships.
He also competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2022, finishing third in the standings.
Bearman is considered a rising star in motorsport and has received praise for his performances, both in his Formula 1 debut and in the lower formulae.
Siblings
Oliver has two siblings. He has a younger brother named Thomas Bearman who is also a competitive kart racer.
Oliver and his brother have both raced under their father’s number: 87.
Oliver also has a younger sister named Amalie Bearman, who has taken up showjumping.
Karting career
Bearman started his karting career in 2013, competing in the championship of the Trent Valley Kart Club.
He then moved up to race in the prestigious Super 1 National Championships, where he achieved a best finish of second place in both 2016 and 2017, racing in the Cadet category.
In 2017, Bearman secured a significant victory at the Kartmasters British Grand Prix. This was a major accomplishment in the junior karting ranks.
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Bearman then capped off his karting career in style in 2019. That year, he won the prestigious IAME International Final, the IAME Euro Series, and the IAME Winter Cup.
These victories demonstrated Bearman’s exceptional talent and potential as he transitioned to single-seater racing.
Bearman’s karting career began at a young age, as he started competing at just 8 years old. He honed his skills in the junior X30 class, where he won both the European and World championships.
This strong karting foundation laid the groundwork for his successful move into Formula 1’s junior formulae.
Formula One career
Bearman made his surprise Formula 1 debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replacing the ill Carlos Sainz Jr. at Ferrari.
Despite limited preparation time, the 19-year-old impressed by qualifying 11th and finishing 7th in the race, earning his first F1 points and becoming the youngest British driver to score points on debut.
Bearman’s performance earned him praise from Lewis Hamilton and the Driver of the Day award with 48.3% of the vote.
This debut made him the first British driver to race for Ferrari since Eddie Irvine in 1999, the youngest British driver to race for the Scuderia, and the third youngest driver to ever start a Grand Prix.
Following his impressive debut, Haas announced in July 2024 that Bearman will race for them full-time in 2025 on a multi-year contract.
He will make his F1 race debut with Haas next season after serving as their reserve driver in 2024, taking part in six practice sessions including the British Grand Prix.
Prior to his F1 debut, Bearman tested a 2021-spec Ferrari at Fiorano in October 2023 and made his F1 practice debut with Haas at the 2023 Mexico City and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.
He was also named Ferrari’s reserve driver for 2024, sharing the role with Robert Shwartzman and Antonio Giovinazzi.
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