Oliver Bearman is set to make his Formula 1 debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replacing Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. Bearman, considered one of the most talented young drivers in junior single-seater racing, was not expected to make his debut under such circumstances or at such a young age. He will be the first driver to debut in an F1 championship race for Scuderia Ferrari since Arturo Merzario in 1972 and the first British driver for the team since Eddie Irvine in 1999.
Bearman’s career in single-seater racing has been impressive. He finished 7th in the German F4 championship in 2020 and 10th in the Italian F4 championship with a win. In 2021, he won both the German and Italian F4 championships and also competed in the GB3 series, where he finished 14th with a win. In 2022, Bearman raced in the Asian Formula Regional championship and finished 15th, and in 2023, he competed in the FIA F3 championship and finished 6th.
Prior to moving to single-seaters, Bearman found success in British karting and international IAME competitions. In 2020, at the age of 15, he transitioned to single-seater racing. Although he only had one win in each the German and Italian F4 championships that year, Bearman returned to both championships in 2021 and won them both. His victorious campaign in the Italian F4 championship included a streak of seven consecutive wins. He was also selected as a Ferrari junior driver after an evaluation event at the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello.
Bearman then moved to the Formula 3 series, racing for Prema. In his first season, he finished third, narrowly missing out on the championship. He had a strong debut season in Formula 2 with Prema, including a double victory in Baku. He also had the opportunity to drive in two free practice sessions for the Haas F1 team. His performances impressed many, and he was rewarded with a planned program of six test sessions with Haas in 2024.
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Despite a challenging start to his second season in Formula 2, Bearman’s path to F1 became clearer when Ferrari chose him to replace Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He had already secured pole position in Jeddah before giving it up for the opportunity to drive for Ferrari.