Ollie Bearman walked into the 2025 Formula 1 season with three standout appearances. By the end of his rookie season, he led his team-mate Esteban Ocon by three points and two places in the standings, finishing 13th. His 2026 season has been just as impressive so far.
In a new video from the Haas F1 team, the Briton has reflected on his debut season with the American outfit.
The move from Formula 2 to F1 was a huge change for Bearman. Not only did he have to learn a car that was substantially different from his Prema machinery, but his team expanded hugely.
"It was a big year for myself," he said. "And I think it's probably the most learning that I'll ever do in a year because it's my first time stepping into Formula 1 and the first time and the last time that I ever have that experience.
"I matured a lot. I've gone from a team in F2 with 20 people coming to the track. Of course, the team was very big back at the factory, but trackside there were 20 people and now that number is tripled at least.
"And of course, we also have almost 400 staff back at home. So, you know, the team has grown exponentially."
In the junior categories, the job of a driver is to be fast. In F1, the car's development hinges on feedback from its driver – something Bearman had to recalibrate for.
"The developments we make on the car directly come as an influence of what we're saying as drivers.
“I think it's not necessarily a big weight. You need to understand that that's your role because I was not in that role ever before, and it's tough to assume it automatically.
"It takes a while. And I think I took the position well, but it's not overnight that it happens and it definitely took a good few races to understand my position within the team, and that position is very different to what it is in lower categories.
"Now I'm someone who's more outgoing, less afraid to speak up and to give my opinion. Because I think it's tough to feel like your opinion will be valued straight away. It's just natural that you're coming in as a kid basically and you need to earn that in a way.”
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
The strongest spell of his rookie season ran from Zandvoort onward. He fought from the pitlane to sixth, then managed to string together five consecutive points-scoring races. In Mexico, he placed his Haas in fourth – a joint-best result for a driver of the Ayao Komatsu-led squad.
2026 brings a massive change to the championship, with regulations that Bearman is still getting his head around.
"I still have a lot to learn. And for example, this is my first regulation change and some of my competitors have been through two or three or four of them. So this will also be a very new experience for me and that excites me because it's a great opportunity to learn and, hopefully throughout my career, there'll be lots of these changes.
"It means that I've been there for a while. So, it's certainly still a great opportunity. I feel like everything I've learned last year, I can take that forward. And there's a lot that I can, let's say, add to my armoury of learning in terms of learnings from 2026 as well. That's for sure.”
While it's not his target this year, he said without hesitation: "My goal in life is to become a world champion. I'm building the foundations to hopefully one day be in a position to do that."
After the first four rounds of the 2026 season, Bearman currently sits eighth in the drivers' standings with 17 points, while his team-mate sits 16th with just one point.
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