Oliver Bearman’s disastrous first race weekend of 2025 was firmly put behind him in China, when he cruised to a P8 finish in the Haas.
The Briton finished 10th on the road but because of the disqualifications of both Ferrari drivers for separate technical infringements, it promoted him two places into the top ten.
Haas would end up being the highest-finishing team using Ferrari power units and would net an extra nine points, while Bearman could relish what was a great comeback drove into the points.
Bearman had passed seven cars from where he qualified, telling each of them ‘ciao’ over the team radio. Discussing his race on his YouTube live stream, Peter Windsor compared him to another F1 world champion.
Peter Windsor compares Oliver Bearman to Nigel Mansell after Chinese Grand Prix
Haas faced a tough start to the season after encountering a fundamental problem that surprised them with their car in Melbourne, where it became unpredictable for their drivers in high speed corners.
Bearman and Ocon both put Melbourne behind them and finished in the points in China, despite the track having been high on tyre wear.
Windsor believes the Briton, who graduated from racing in F2 this season, displayed similar talents to Nigel Mansell in the race.
“Oliver Bearman drove really well to get P10, saying ‘Chao’ everytime he passed people. Nigel Mansell-esque down the radio,” said Windsor.
“Nigel would say ‘Come on, out of the way’ whereas Bearman says ‘Chao’ because of his time at Prema in Italy. Great drive and great result for Haas to have both drivers in the points.
Damon Hill praises Oliver Bearman after Chinese Grand Prix
Bearman also received praise from Damon Hill after the Chinese GP, with him noting how great his driving was on his Instagram page.
Both Haas drivers were satisfied with where they managed to finish in the race considering they took home more points than they anticipated and were expecting to be slower than Sauber.
Bearman’s points finish also means there are not seven drivers who have yet to score points this season, one of which includes the under pressure Liam Lawson at Red Bull.
Red Bull is set to make a decision on Lawson in the upcoming days before Japan, following a difficult start to life at the senior team for the 23-year-old.
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