Oliver Bearman just secured the best result of his Formula 1 career so far at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he started from the pit lane.
Sunday has been where the Briton has shone this season, often recovering from the back end of the grid to score points for Haas.
Bearman hasn’t been the best of the rookies, but he hasn’t been the worst either. It’s clear that at the age of 20, he has plenty of development left ahead of him.
Currently sitting 16th in the drivers’ championship is an acceptable return for his first season, but he’ll want to kick on after the start of the 2026 F1 regulations.
Karun Chandhok thinks Bearman has made ‘unforgivable’ mistakes and needs to eliminate those in the future.
Ferrari have already chosen who will replace Lewis Hamilton if he suddenly decides to retire, which would be seen as a bit of a shock to some in the paddock.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesOliver Bearman knows how to get a ‘better’ shot at replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Bearman rues a ‘real issue’ with the current regulation of cars that is making them especially difficult to drive.
It’s something he will have to adapt to, but next year’s rule changes should suit him if he wants to see a reduction in how effective the ground effect is.
Bearman has made some ‘stupid mistakes’ in 2025, and he’ll be the first to admit it, but talking to The Express, he knows exactly what he has to do if he wants to replace Hamilton at Ferrari one day.
“And I was very lucky to have a taste of Ferrari for my first ever race, but my future moments with Haas, and I’m really excited to see what we can do together,” he said.
“And the more I can show now, the better my chances are in the future. So it’s very easy to not think about that, focus on the task at hand and try and do as best as I can.”
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Why Oliver Bearman desperately needed a strong result at the Dutch Grand Prix
After four consecutive 11th-place finishes, followed by a retirement, Bearman really needed to score some points at Zandvoort.
In fact, after scoring points three times in his first four races, he then went another 10 events before scoring again.
Now, he has a real chance to kick on and build some momentum for next year. He hasn’t been dominated by experienced teammate Esteban Ocon in 2025, and that’s a good omen for him.
Bearman has now ‘replicated’ one Ferrari trait and is starting to show some real confidence in Haas’ car. The more he builds on that, the more dangerous he will be.