Oliver Bearman is the second youngest driver on the 2025 grid. Only former F2 teammate Kimi Antonelli beats him in that leaderboard.
Bearman arguably showed his inexperience when he crashed heavily in FP1 on Friday. He ran into the gravel on the exit of the turn nine/10 chicane and couldn’t collect the car, slamming into the barriers.
The most visible damage was at the front, where Bearman ripped off one of his tyres and broke his front wing. But it later emerged that Haas had to change his engine and gearbox too, potentially using up one from his season-long allocation already.
Haas put Bearman’s car in ‘intensive care’, as one observer put it, in an attempt to make it out for FP2. But they just about missed the cut, denying their new signing vital running.
The Australian Grand Prix will be Bearman’s fourth start in F1, and his third for Haas. He appeared in Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Brazil last season when regular drivers were unavailable.
It also marks a debut for new teammate Esteban Ocon, who’s joined from Alpine. Ayao Komatsu’s squad concealed their one-lap pace in testing by focusing on high-fuel runs.
Oliver Bearman says his ‘long neck’ could complicate early Haas races
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Harry Benjamin on The Chequered Flag podcast before the Melbourne weekend, Bearman addressed his physical adaptation to F1. His appearances last year no doubt helped, but now he has to cope with a full 24-race calendar.
The Englishman said he dealt with the strain well during the Bahrain test, when he completed a total of 197 laps across three days. But he’s anticipating a ‘difficult’ experience in Japan (round three) and Saudi Arabia (round five).
The extreme G-force of F1 can be brutal for any rookie, but Bearman, one of the tallest drivers on the grid, has a long neck. That will make it particularly painful, even after his training.
The high-speed chicane at Albert Park subjects drivers to one of the highest loads on the calendar. But Bearman generally thinks he’ll be okay this weekend.
“[My neck] is certainly feeling stronger,” he said. “Bahrain certainly went well. It was a good test to see how my body would hold up.
“Physically, the only place I think that I will struggle is my neck. I’m prepared for that. It’s going to hurt – maybe not here but definitely in Suzuka, in Jeddah. I expect them to be very difficult races.
“I am not blessed that genetically because I have quite a long neck. That always makes things difficult. The strength will come as I drive more laps.”
Oliver Bearman just ignored Jenson Button’s vital advice before Australian Grand Prix
Anthony Davidson says Bearman is in ‘prime position’ to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari whenever he leaves. While all the focus is predictably on the 40-year-old for now, Bearman’s audition has already begun.
Fred Vasseur and co. won’t necessarily expect to see their academy driver beating Ocon straight away. But they’ll want him to put the race winner under considerable pressure.
He must also prove that he can be dependable as well as fast. An early crash isn’t concerning in and of itself, but it can’t become a theme.
Jenson Button says accidents are ‘the worst thing’ for a rookie, particularly in the cost-cap era. Perhaps Bearman should have taken heed of his words and adopted a more cautious approach.
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