Oliver Bearman truly proved that the saying – “Cometh the hour, cometh the man” was perhaps made for him. The British racer saved the day for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he stepped up to take Carlos Sainz‘s role. Sainz admitted to the hospital with appendicitis, announced that he would miss out on the race in Jeddah because he needed an urgent operation. This meant that Ferrari needed a replacement for him and thus, the Italian team went to Bearman. What happened next determined the rest of the future for the Scuderia junior.
Stepping into F1 for the first time in his racing career, Oliver Bearman turned out to be the dark horse for Ferrari. At just 18, he became the youngest Briton to start a Formula 1 race ever. From the 11th spot on the grid, he climbed up to get into the points. At last, he ended up seventh, finishing above his childhood hero and 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. As he wowed all the onlookers with his performance, Oliver Bearman bagged a seat at Haas ahead of the 2025 F1 season.
Even though Ollie will be at Haas next year, he will continue to serve as a Ferrari junior. Lewis Hamilton is joining the Scuderia as a new recruit. The 7-time World Champion has played a huge role in inspiring Oliver Bearman to get to Formula 1. Remembering an incident where Lewis wished him to win the Karting Championship, Bearman said on ‘Hugh Performance‘, “Actually, I received a video message from him in, like, 2016. I’d just won the British Karting Championship, and I think, you know, through a friend, he’d sent me a message and said congratulations and keep pushing and stuff like this.”
He also said, “That was a very special moment, you know? I have watched this guy who’s been racing in F1 since I was born and to finally share the track with him [is special].” Thus, 8 years before Bearman even stepped into Formula 1, Hamilton had already spotted his talent. But what does Oliver think about the 105 Grand Prix-winning racer debuting for Ferrari in F1 ’25?
Oliver Bearman hopes to learn the ropes of F1 from Hamilton
Oliver Bearman cites Lewis Hamilton as one of his heroes. As the future would have it, the young British racer will be teammates with his childhood inspiration next year. Earlier this year, Oliver’s parent team, Ferrari, announced that they are hiring Hamilton for a whopping $100 million per year salary. What does Ollie think about the news that Lewis will sever a 12-f contract with Mercedes to move to Maranello? In response to this, the soon-to-be Haas racer said, “I think he’ll bring a lot of experience to the team.”
Lewis has previously been a McLaren racer till 2013. He won his first World Championship for the papaya army in 2008 while the last win for Ferrari came a year before that. So, Oliver hopes to see Hamilton get the Italian team back to its winning ways. He said, “[Lewis has] won seven world championships – that’s something that not many people can say. He’ll bring a good mentality to the team, a winning mentality, but of course, his talent is undeniable. He’s one of the best to have ever done it. It’s great that in some way he can share his experience with me slightly.”
The way Oliver Bearman soared to the P7 spot in Jeddah this year, he certainly shows potential to become Hamilton’s successor in Formula 1. But do you think the Briton can become a World Champion like his idol?
