Ollie Bearman is one of the hottest properties in the F1 market currently. The 19-year-old is racing with PREMA Racing of F2 and took his first F2 win last weekend in the Austrian sprint race.
Being on the radar of many teams, the rookie’s signature has been secured by the American F1 team, Haas. He will join the team at the beginning of the 2025 season.
Bearman will become the fourth driver on the Formula One Grid next year. The 19-year-old will join Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell in F1.
Let us take a closer look at Bearman’s journey to F1.
Early Life
Ollie Bearman was born in Chelmsford, Essex. He completed his schooling at King Edward VI Grammar School. However, due to his love for racing from a very young age, Bearman faced difficulties in concentrating on his studies.
At just the age of 8, he began his racing career at club-level British karting. His talent spoke for himself as just in his second season of go-karting he secured 4th place in the British National Cadet Championship.
He won the Kartmasters British Grand Prix two years in a row and was vice-champion in the cadet class. He kept on wrapping the titles winning the International Junior X30 class, the Winter Cup in Valencia, the European Series, and the World Championships held in France.
Ollie Bearman’s Journey To F1
In 2020, Bearman shifted his attention from go-karts to car racing and joined Formula 4 racing. In 2021, he made a switch to Van Amersfoort Racing. He notched up an impressive 17 wins with the Dutch-based outfit winning the German and the Italian championships along the way. This earned him a place in the Ferrari Academy at the end of 2021.
Alongside driving at Ferrari academy, Bearman joined the PREMA Racing in 2021. In his second season, he finished 3rd in the driver’s championship. In 2023 he got promoted to Formula 2 with PREMA finishing 6th in Driver’s Championship. He notched up four wins and three pole positions in the season.
The Brit is currently 14th in the F2 standings with 28 points heading into the British Grand Prix this weekend.
Ollie Bearman’s F1 Debut
At this year’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis. He had to undergo surgery leaving Ferrari with one driver short. This was when Bearman, who serves as Ferrari’s reserve driver this season, got a callup to fill in Sainz’s seat.
The rookie was unphased by the occasion as he fought his way to a respectable 7th position at Jeddah. His bravery to step up at such short notice earned him applause from F1 fans worldwide. His six points from the debut race are still good enough for the 14th position in the F1 standings.
With just one F1 race under his belt, he sits ahead of drivers like Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and Valtteri Bottas in the F1 standings.
Relationship Status
Ollie Bearman is in an open relationship with Estelle Ogilvy. Ogilvy is an Instagram model and a law student.
She is known to travel with Bearman during race weeks and was spotted with Bearman last year at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Ogilvy is known by the username ‘Silly Lettuce’ on social media.
What Ollie Bearman Said After Permanent Move to F1
Bearman was expectedly thrilled to sign a deal with the Haas F1 team and thanked Ferrari for his development over the years.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for (the) Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud,” Bearman said. “To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing that they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.”
“I wouldn’t be here without you,” he told Ferrari. “Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”
With Bearman confirmed for next season, Haas will now look to announce his teammate for next season. Nico Hülkenberg has signed a deal to move to Sauber next season and the future of Kevin Magnussen is uncertain. According to ESPN, Haas have made Alpine driver Esteban Ocon their priority for the other seat.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
