Haas F1 Team confirm Oliver Bearman for 2025 race seat

Oliver Bearman will graduate to Formula 1 next season with the Haas F1 Team, the Briton having signed a multi-year deal with the American outfit.

The Scuderia Ferrari Academy talent made his F1 debut earlier this year, deputising for Carlos Sainz at the Ferrari team after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old went on to finish seventh in the race, securing his first points on his maiden outing and became the team’s youngest-ever points scorer in F1 history.

Alongside his Saudi Arabian GP cameo, Bearman has been taking part in Free Practice sessions for Haas this year, so far participating at the Emilia Romagna and Spanish Grands Prix and is gearing up for his third session of 2024 at Silverstone in this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Speaking about his signing for Haas, Bearman said he was hugely appreciative of the opportunity and proud to have been signed by the team.

“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formual 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud. To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.

“To Gene, Ayao and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico, and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.

“To Fred, Marco, Jock, Alessandro and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and I know I will give it everything I have.”

Team Owner, Gene Haas, added that he was excited to see what Bearman would bring to the team in 2025.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in Formula 1 – he’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team.

“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond. This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent – both on and off-track – as we continue to compete at the highest level.”

Team Princpal of the Haas F1 Team Ayao Komatsu also added: “It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1. He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scdueria Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons. We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car.

“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”