Oliver Bearman Reveals Weakness Ahead Of Haas F1 Debut - 'Taking Small Steps'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 12, 2024

Oliver Bearman / Ferrari Press Image

Ferrari junior driver Oliver Bearman, set to make his full-time debut with the Haas F1 team next year, revealed that he's been "taking small steps" to address a key weakness in his qualifying pace, an area he recognizes as crucial for improvement.

Bearman, who excelled in his role as reserve driver for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this season, demonstrated remarkable skill under pressure. Stepping in while Sainz was recovering from appendicitis, Bearman secured a seventh-place finish, earning six points.

Bearman is preparing for his full-time debut with Haas next season by taking part in more FP1 sessions this year. While gaining crucial experience, the 19-year-old has admitted that he needs to enhance his qualifying pace in Formula 1. When asked about the areas where he needs to improve, the British driver told the media:

“There are a lot of areas, you can't identify all of them in just one session.

“Generally, my qualifying pace has been on the weaker side of things. But I think I've said this for the last three or four sessions now. 

“It’s taking small steps, but in the end I always feel like if I did a second set of tires, it would be fine.

“It's just making that step from a hard tire or a medium on a soft with lower fuel and qualifying [engine] power.

“It's quite a big step and I don't tend to make it yet. But by the same token, it's just a free practice one session and there's no need to take any risk.”

Bearman's ultimate ambition is to race for Ferrari in Formula 1. The 19-year-old British driver has a deep passion for the Maranello-based team and dreams of securing championships with them in the future. As reported by Formula1.com, he told Sky Sports F1:

“I think Ferrari is one of the most iconic brands in the world, of course within racing and F1.

“If you draw a car, it’s red. It’s a brand that’s synonymous with racing, with victory, with success and with fantastic drivers as well.

“First of all, to have made my debut with Ferrari, that hasn’t happened for a very long time, and the fact that I became the youngest Ferrari driver was something very special for me.

“Of course, I want to win world championships, and to do that with Ferrari is my dream. They’ve been supporting me since 2021. They’ve seen something from me early on. They decided to trust in me, and even just to put me behind the wheel in Jeddah was a big risk from Ferrari’s side.

“That shows that they believe in me, that they trust in my capability, and of course one day I would love to win a championship, especially with Ferrari.”