The Haas Formula 1 team has secured a multi-year deal with 19-year-old British driver Oliver Bearman, effective from 2025.
Haas announced the signing on Thursday, providing limited details. Bearman will replace German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who will move to Sauber at the end of the year as it transitions to Audi in 2026.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for (the) Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud,” Bearman said. “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.”
Bearman caught attention with a seventh-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, filling in for Carlos Sainz Jr., who underwent an operation for appendicitis. Bearman, then 18, became the third-youngest F1 driver, having had only two practice sessions with Haas in 2023 before delivering a strong performance on the challenging circuit.
Currently competing in the F2 championship and serving as a reserve driver for both Ferrari and Haas, Bearman won the Austrian GP sprint race last weekend for Prema Racing in F2. He joined the Ferrari academy in 2021 after being recognized as a promising talent.
“I wouldn’t be here without you,” he said to Ferrari. “Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”
Haas team owner Gene Haas expressed optimism about Bearman’s future with the team. “He’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team,” Haas said. “I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for (the) Haas F1 Team next season and beyond.”
With Bearman’s addition, there will be four British drivers on the F1 grid next year: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes), Lando Norris (McLaren), and Bearman.
