Oliver Bearman hasn’t had the easiest of seasons in Formula 2, compounded by the weight of expectation that comes with a season in the top junior formulae driving for Prema.
A completely new chassis design for 2024 has thwarted the Italian outfit’s charge in a Formula 2 series that they are renowned for being ultra-competitive in.
Their drivers – Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, lie 7th and 15th respectively in the championship.
How will Oliver Bearman prepare for his F1 drive with Haas?
Yet both could still be set to be handed the opportunity to drive in Formula 1 from next season, after Bearman signed for Haas, while Antonelli awaits an opportunity at Mercedes.
Bearman’s contract with Haas is a ‘multi-year agreement’, handing him the opportunity to drive at the start of the new set of technical regulations in 2026.
His best result of the season other than a Sprint Race win in Austria, was a fourth-placed finish in the Monaco Feature Race.
Ideally, he would have been able to compete at the front on a more regular basis so far this season, in order to prepare him for the brutal nature of Formula 1’s midfield.
However, he will have to find other ways to prepare for the big step up the ranks, as he discussed with Planet Sport when he said: “If you have a car to finish P5, then you have to finish P5 and not finish seventh or eighth trying to go for more. That is the mindset that I am working on.
“I’m going to be spending a lot of time on the simulator for my own benefit but also the team’s [ahead of 2025]. A lot of the circuits will be new for me, so I want to make the transition as seamless as possible,” he stated.”
What sort of challenges will Bearman face in 2025?
The first main stumbling block for Bearman could be his new teammate Esteban Ocon – an extremely experienced and canny campaigner.
Ocon is no stranger to being a nuisance to those on the other side of the garage, having been involved in spats with Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly.
But it’s the first time he will have a rookie teammate and the two will be eager to move Haas in the right direction, considering how long they may be partnered up for.
Bearman will have the chance to learn from a Formula 1 race-winner and the experience that comes with his 147 starts at the time of writing.
As the Brit heralded, learning new tracks could be tricky for him and Ocon has plenty of knowledge of every circuit on the calendar, making him a valuable resource.