In this Formula Fools driver deep dive, we unpack the rapid rise of Oliver Bearman — the teenager who went from F2 weekend to Ferrari race seat in about five minutes.

Because that’s not exaggeration.

Saudi Arabia 2024.

Carlos Sainz out.

Phone rings.

Bearman in.

At 18 years old, he was pulled from his normal Formula 2 routine and dropped into a Ferrari Formula 1 car with almost no notice. Most rookies spend years preparing for that moment.

He scored points immediately.

That single weekend changed everything.

David and Skin rewind to why Ferrari rated him so highly in the first place:

• Double F4 champion (ADAC + Italian F4 in the same year)
• Strong FIA F3 campaign
• Four wins in FIA F2 in 2023
• Fast-tracked through the Ferrari Driver Academy system

He wasn’t just “next in line.” He was winning everywhere he went.

And yet, peak Bearman lore?

He failed his first road driving test in 2022 for not fully stopping at a stop sign.

He can handle 300km/h into Turn 1.

But a suburban stop sign got him.

That’s balance.

By 2025, he was locked in as a full-time driver at Haas F1 Team, Ferrari-powered and investing in youth. By 2026, he’s not a cameo anymore — he’s a cornerstone.

We break down what makes Bearman dangerous:

• Composure under absurd pressure (that Saudi debut wasn’t lucky)
• Clean, measured racecraft
• Real qualifying upside
• A ceiling that shows when the car gives him even half a chance (career-best P4 already on the board)

The big question?

Can he turn flashes into season-long consistency as the midfield tightens and teams start targeting him strategically?

Best case? Haas rise and he becomes a regular top-6 threat — with Ferrari watching closely.

Worst case? The car caps his results and he becomes another “what if” talent stuck in the midfield.

Most likely? Steady growth, smarter racecraft each season, and those occasional weekends where everyone goes, “Yeah… he’s properly quick.”

He’s calm. He’s calculated.

And he already knows what it feels like to get the biggest call in Formula 1 — and deliver.

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