Oliver Bearman drove superbly during his three outings in Formula 1 this season and was rewarded with a contract at Haas next year.
The British driver hit the ground running in Saudi Arabia after replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in the middle of the weekend. Bearman finished in seventh place while soaking up pressure from Lando Norris in the closing stages.
He also drove well for Haas in Azerbaijan and Brazil. Bearman took two wins in Baku while in Formula 2, which gave him a starting point, but the British driver had to learn the layout at Interlagos without any prior track time.
Bearman caught the attention of Eddie Jordan, who was impressed by the 19-year-old and felt Haas’ new recruit performed at a higher level than Franco Colapinto.
Williams allowed Colapinto to complete the final nine rounds of the world championship after Logan Sargeant continued to make costly errors.
The Argentine made some mistakes in Brazil and Las Vegas, which may have cooled F1 teams’ interest in the Williams driver.
The crash in Las Vegas still hurts Colapinto because it stopped him from progressing in qualifying as he stepped over the limit in a needless incident.
Crashes like this mean the Williams driver is unlikely to retain his seat on the grid for 2025. Bearman explained which championship may fit Colapinto well if he can’t stay in F1.
Oliver Bearman feels Super Formula would be a ‘great option’ for Franco Colapinto
Bearman has sampled the brutal power of a Super Formula machine as he drove in a test at Suzuka to gather experience ahead of next year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Super Formula operates at a high level and is closer to Formula 1 in terms of performance than any European junior series category.
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Bearman was impressed by the car, particularly in the very quick turns, and felt that the championship might be an option for Colapinto if he can’t race in F1 next season.
He told Grande Premio: “I think what impressed me most was the handling and the speed of the cornering of these cars on a circuit like Suzuka; it’s like I was ‘dancing’ on the track with the car, I had a lot of fun driving it, it’s very similar to F1, which I really liked.
“I hope Franco can get a seat in F1 next year because he has proven in the nine races that he is capable of performing at the level of the drivers in Formula 1, and he has impressed the whole paddock, and I hope he can get a full-time seat. I enjoyed racing against him. Of course, Super Formula is an option if he doesn’t get to compete in F1, and it’s a great option too.”
Colapinto is unlikely to be on the F1 grid next season, but he should be part of the Williams team as Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon compete on race weekends.
Super Formula would be a great championship to keep sharp as Theo Pourchaire planned to do this season in Japan, although the language barrier may cause issues.
Franco Colapinto surprised a lot of people in Formula 1
Colapinto joined the Formula 1 grid at the Italian Grand Prix weekend despite not being at the top of the championship in F2.
He did have moments of brilliance, such as a Sprint Race win at Imola, but it was tricky to be consistent in the opening few rounds.
Colapinto was quick from the outset in F1 and scored his first points in Azerbaijan, just his second Grand Prix, despite a crash in practice.
Will Buxton was surprised by Colapinto’s pace at Williams, but the series of incidents may have cost him a chance to race in F1 next season.
He may have opportunities in the future, as Cadillac will join the grid in 2026 to make up the 11th team on the grid. The American outfit may see Colapinto as a good fit, although they will likely want an American driver.
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