As expected, the Haas F1 Team has confirmed that Ferrari junior Ollie Bearman will race full-time with the US outfit in 2025.
The young British driver, who has been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, was widely expected to drive for Haas next season after his outstanding debut with the Scuderia in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Stepping in last minute for an unwell Carlos Sainz, Bearman impressed everyone by scoring a P7 finish for Ferrari.
Thrilled about the official announcement, Bearman said it felt "incredible" to finally be a full-fledged Formula 1 driver.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” stated Bearman. “To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud.
“To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.
"To Gene, Ayao and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.”
Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu highlighted Bearman’s strong FP1 outings with the US outfit last year, an apprenticeship that the Briton is continuing this season begore his promotion to a race seat in 2025.
“It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1,” commented Komatsu.
“He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
©Haas
“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons.
“We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car.
“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”
Bearman will be in action this weekend at Silverstone on Friday in FP1, but also with Prema in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
The 19-year-old will enjoy additional FP1 outings with Haas in Hungary, Mexico and Abu Dhabi.
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