Oliver Bearman, Haas (P10, 1 pt): 8/10
The British teenager isn't a full-time Formula 1 driver yet, but this weekend Oliver Bearman claimed a small place all his own in the F1 record books by becoming the first driver in championship history to score for two different constructors in his first two races. The first was with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia as a last minute stand-in for a poorly Carlos Sainz where he finished eighth, while this time it was for Haas for whom he will drive full time in 2025. There was the risk that Bearman could fall flat on his face this week while subbing for Kevin Magnussen who was serving a one-race ban for amassing too many penalty points; but a small prang in final practice notwithstanding this was a solid second outing for Bearman. Just missing out on the final round of qualifying, he was promoted to P10 by Lewis Hamilton's engine drop and initially held on well until Lando Norris pushed past. Understandably he was also displaced by his team mate Nico Hulkenberg and eventually (after a 25-lap stand-off) by a recovering Hamilton. He looked set to finish in 13th but the Perez/Sainz accident also caught out Hulkenberg. It turned into a top ten finish for Bearman and an entry in the record books. We suspect young Oliver can't wait for a taste of more in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (P9, 2 pts): 7/10
Never a dull moment for Lewis Hamilton this year who must be getting sick of the roller coaster rides he's been on at Mercedes in 2024. He was top three in Friday's practice sessions and looking forward to a successful weekend, but then suddenly dropped off the pace on Saturday as has happened so many times this season. While he still made it through to the final round of qualifying, ending up almost a second off the pole pace set by Charles Leclerc was crushing. Things got even worse overnight when the team had to work on his car in parc ferme conditions, resulting in a mandatory pit lane start on Sunday. While the Mercedes had superior pace over most of those ahead of him, Hamilton got hung up for a surprisingly long time behind Pierre Gasly. He ran a short 12-lap stint on mediums before completing the rest of the race on a used set of hards, most of which he spent tailgating Oliver Bearman in the Haas. Once past he found himself stuck behind Franco Colapinto for the rest of the race. It probably won't have been lost on Hamilton that one of the most experienced and oldest drivers on the grid was being bookended by two of the newest and youngest rookies.
