Ollie Bearman secured a P4 finish at the Mexican GP, which was also the highest finish for Haas since Romain Grosjean finished P4 at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. This wasn’t a surprise, though, for those who have witnessed the progression in the 20-year-old’s racing career firsthand. From his time in F2 to his fantastic debut drive for Ferrari, Bearman is a special talent in F1.

After his fantastic drive in Mexico City, he is cementing himself as the best rookie in Formula 1 this season. Here’s how he got here.

Career in the junior ranks

Beginning karting at the age of six, Bearman has been behind the wheel for almost his entire life. He won the Kartmasters British Grand Prix in the cadet class, which helped him move into junior karting in 2018. This was just the very beginning, and he began to show his talent on the track. He swept the international junior X30 class in 2019. He won the Winter Cup in Valencia, the European Series, and the World Championships in Le Mans.

As Bearman kept winning, he was being noticed, and in 2020, he made his debut in cars in Formula 4 with US Racing. Due to COVID-19, he had limited testing and a delayed and shortened season. Despite all of that, he still went on to secure two wins and three podiums. In 2021, he joined Van Amersfoort for his second season in F4.

He made history by becoming the first driver ever to win both the Italian and German Formula 4 championships. Along the way, he took the chequered flag a staggering 17 times, catching the eye of Ferrari as he joined their driver academy. He also appeared a few times in GB3, grabbing the podium four times along with a race win.

For 2022, Bearman once again made a jump, this time going up to Formula 3. He joined PREMA Racing and took home eight podiums and a race win in his maiden season. Just seven points off the championship, Ollie finished third, missing out in the final race of the season.

Formula 2 career

The final step before making it to F1 is Formula 2. After just a season in F3, Bearman made the jump up to F2. Four wins, seven podiums, and a complete sweep at Baku, where he had a broken steering wheel during qualifying. He became the second youngest race winner in F2 history. He later made his debut in an F1 practice session for Haas in Mexico.

The 2024 season was a bit lacklustre for Bearman’s standards. Finishing 12th in the standings with a measly 75 points, he did not garner any race wins, with one podium at Melbourne. Though it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Bearman.

Stunning Ferrari debut

In March of 2024, Ollie Bearman stepped into the cockpit of an F1 car to race for Scuderia Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian GP. After Carlos Sainz had to go into surgery for appendicitis, Bearman was called up to be the replacement for the race, beginning with qualifying.

He narrowly missed out on Q3 as Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes beat him out. Starting 11th on the grid, Bearman would become the third youngest driver to ever race in F1. During those 50 laps under the lights of Jeddah, Bearman would make light work of the competition. Making his way up to seventh, he claimed points in his first-ever race in F1.

Formula 1 career

In 2025, he was signed by the Haas F1 Team to race alongside veteran Esteban Ocon. It wouldn’t be his first time driving for them, however, as in 2024, he sat behind the wheel of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas as he served a one-race ban. Throughout the season, Bearman has scored many points for Haas. At Suzuka, Zandvoort, Singapore, and multiple other tracks, he has come through in a big way. Delivering performances that have sparked discussion about him being the potential rookie of the year.

Everything so far culminated in last weekend, when a superb drive saw him take fourth at the Mexican GP. Taking advantage of the chaos on lap one, Bearman saw his opportunity and took it. Shooting up to P4, at a moment, he was sitting on the podium. That third place didn’t last long as the Red Bull of Max Verstappen retook the last podium position.

The finish matches the best-ever finish for Haas in its history, when Romain Grosjean took fourth at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. Seven top-10 finishes this season, resulting in 32 points, and he is sitting 13th in the Drivers’ Championship.

Future pathways

At every level, Bearman has shown his talent and shattered all expectations. In the years to come, he has set himself up quite nicely to be the next big name in F1. While it’s unlikely to come while he drives for Haas, a move to a big team could be close. Haas has never finished on the podium in their history.

Already, there has been a ton of talk about him eventually replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. If this move doesn’t happen, it is almost certain that one of the top teams will show interest in the 20-year-old. Not only have his performances been quite good this season, but it’s clear that the potential is there.

Bearman’s rookie season is one to be remembered. The performances he has put together in the Haas are nothing short of remarkable. Incredibly, Bearman has been the one to really put Haas on the map this season. If his previous results are anything to go on, we can expect this level of competitiveness and excellence for Bearman moving forward.