Why Bearman actually deserves a permanent place in Formula 1 right now

Oliver Bearman made quite an impression in Saudi Arabia with his debut in Formula 1. Now he should return to Formula 2, but obviously not for long. This junior driver deserves a permanent place in the sport.

I spoke to Oliver Bearman just last week. He always has that childlike glint in his eye, but he was not satisfied with the start of the F2 season with Prema. In Bahrain, the team got the setup completely wrong. Therefore, the fact that Bearman managed to take pole position for the F2 race in Saudi Arabia a week later was a minor miracle.

However, his F1 debut has made his F2 season a lot harder. Bearman has now failed to score two weeks in a row and will have to start a catch-up championship run in Australia. The Brit now has more points in F1 than in F2. However, his debut in F1 has left the necessary impression that a seat in F1 in 2025 should not be out of the question.

Why there is so much confidence in Bearman

The faith people have in Bearman has been evident for so long. Ferrari are not investing a lot in the young talent and letting him do several private tests for nothing. Bearman will also get the chance to complete six free practice sessions with Haas this year. Everything points to Bearman being prepared for a debut in F1 at Haas in 2025. But nobody expected the real debut to come so soon.

In the Netherlands, people were still remarkably critical of Bearman. When Max Verstappen debuted for Red Bull Racing after more than a year at Toro Rosso and qualified a few tenths behind Daniel Ricciardo, those same people called him the new Ayrton Senna. Bearman qualifying five-tenths behind Charles Leclerc after one practice in an F1 car was okay but not special itself.

But Bearman showed something extraordinary. This was no Barcelona or Monza, where European drivers know the tracks like the back of their hand, but the street circuit in Jeddah. Yes, Bearman had driven here in F2, but never before in an F1 car. Before the third free practice, Bearman had not even driven a metre in the SF-24.

The fact that Bearman, with so little practice, was within a second of Leclerc in qualifying says a lot about his talent. Bearman also impressed in the race. Yes, it was messy here and there with moments off track. Yes, he was briefly mauled by the experienced Nico Hulkenberg, but is it allowed in his first race? Just ask Oscar Piastri how difficult it is to master racing in F1. You drive against experienced guys who know how to race, use the tyres, and operate the electrical systems.

Why Bearman deserves a place in F1

How quickly Bearman learns is also evident from his race pace. Bearman got faster by the lap and also got closer and closer to Leclerc's lap times throughout the race. Mind you, this was his very first Formula 1 race.

Bearman is also very fit. Jeddah is a challenging circuit. Even Verstappen and Leclerc got out of the car sweaty. Bearman managed to climb out of the car himself, unlike Nyck de Vries, after a race at Monza, says enough about the preparation Bearman has made. He is ready for F1, even though he does not even have a seat yet.

How well Bearman has done is especially evident from the admiration of his colleagues and team boss. Frederic Vasseur called what Bearman had done exceptional. They didn't expect so many points from the rookie at Ferrari. Leclerc was also surprised by the level Bearman achieved, as was Max Verstappen.

Bearman could count on praise from the entire paddock, and rightly so. The Briton kept off an onrushing Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of a gruelling race. This is no ordinary guy. This is a huge talent. It's a shame he has to do another year of F2 before he gets to shine in F1 weekly.