Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver “Ollie” Bearman will be joining Haas next year as a Formula One rookie, making the step up from Formula 2. Bearman made his Formula One debut earlier this year at Saudi Arabia when he filled in for Carlos Sainz at Scuderia Ferrari, but this will be his first full season. The 19-year-old became the youngest ever Ferrari driver that weekend.

Ollie Bearman’s F1 debut in Saudi Arabia (Photo via X @ScuderiaFerrari)

Ollie Bearman was born in Chelmsford, UK, and he grew up watching his father and grandfather race at local tracks. When he was eight years old, he began his own racing career in British karting. After becoming British vice champion in the cadet class, he moved to junior karting, where he continued to flourish. He won the European Series and World Championships in Le Mans in 2019, as well as the Winter Cup in Valencia.

In 2020, Ollie switched to single seaters, competing in German and Italian F4 with limited testing. In 2021, he won both the German and Italian F4 titles with Van Amersfoort Racing. Because of these performances, he was picked up by the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Now backed by Ferrari, Bearman moved up to Formula 3 in 2022, where he drove for PREMA Racing. Ollie finished third in the championship in his rookie season, contending for the title until the very end. 

Bearman in the Ferrari garage (Photo via X @ScuderiaFerrari).

Bearman advanced to Formula 2 in 2023, where he drove alongside Mercedes Junior Driver Fred Vesti at PREMA Racing. Ollie had some impressive performances, the highlight being when he did the double in Baku. He won both the Sprint and Feature race in Baku after taking his maiden F2 pole position with bent steering. While it was his teammate Vesti who ultimately fought for the championship, Bearman still finished 6th with an impressive rookie campaign. He also took part in two FP1 outings with Haas throughout the year. 

This year, Ollie has been racing in Formula 2 with PREMA Racing while also fulfilling his role as Reserve Driver for both Scuderia Ferrari and Haas F1 Team. He’s had a rocky start to the season, currently sitting 13th in the F2 Driver Standings behind rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli. Despite this, his place in F1 has seemed guaranteed since the start of the year. 

Bearman does the double in Baku 2023 (Photo via fiaformula2.com)

Bearman is taking part in multiple FP1 sessions with Haas this season to prepare him for the seat. Ollie’s teammate at Haas is yet to be confirmed, but there are multiple drivers in contention. The 2025 Formula One season will start in March at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.