The 2025 British GP marks Ollie Bearman‘s first ever British GP as a Formula One driver, something the young Brit has been looking forward to for the last 12 months.
At the 2024 British GP, Ollie Bearman took part in FP1 at Silverstone and was announced as the 2025 Haas F1 driver. Now he finds himself embedded into his rookie year. Preparing to face his home crowd in his maiden home GP.
Bearman didn’t attempt to downplay his excitement for this moment. He told press on media day, “I think excited is an understatement. It was 12 months ago I announced that I would race in F1 this year, and that was very special. So, returning as a full-time driver is an incredible feeling, and really excited to race here for the first time as an F1 driver.”
Rookie season
It hasn’t been a plain sailing rookie year for the 20-year-old. He had been facing the up hill battle of racing in the back of the midfield. Some weekends points have been easily accessible, and others they’ve been just out of reach. The team constantly teetering on those final points positions.
However, after finishing P10 and P11 at the Austrian GP. Bearman hopes the team will continue building up their progress with upgrades for the British GP. They are targeting the weaker points of the VF-25, with qualifying at the forefront of the drivers minds. The Haas driver is hopeful for the performance that the upgrades are going to bring.
He said, “We have some upgrades this weekend. It looks like it’s going to point us in the right direction. Generally, our weak point has been qualifying, because actually in race pace, we’ve been pretty strong.”
“We’ve been P10 and P11 for the last two races, with qualifying positions that tell us that we shouldn’t be that good. So, this is going to hopefully bring a bit more quali performance, high-speed performance, and hopefully that can give us a few hundredths, because that’s all it really takes. It’s really tight.”
With multiple teams fighting for the final points positions, getting everything right in qualifying is a needed advantage in an incredibly competitive field.
Family business
Ollie Bearman isn’t the only driver in the family racing at Silverstone this year, with Thomas Bearman taking part in British F4.
It is the first time that F1, F2, F3 and British F4 will all race on the same weekend, and it offers a unique experience for Ollie Bearman to watch his brother on one of the biggest stages in motorsport.
Bearman spoke about how special this moment is for him. He said, “It’s been amazing to watch him grow up in motor sport. I remember some of our first times on the track together in karting, and those are always some really fun memories, ones that I’ll cherish. I was so proud to watch him win his first race. That feeling of standing on the top step of the podium for the first time is incredible. He got to share that with his – well, with my family, actually.”
Bearman joked about the attention being off him this weekend, as his brother will share the spotlight, and made a lighthearted comment that Thomas Bearman was the more likely to find himself on the podium this weekend.
“Now he gets to race in the British GP, so I’m not the centre of attention. It’s spread about. No, it’s going to be really nice. The only thing I don’t envy him for is the early starts, because I think he has to be at the track at like 6am on Saturday. Aside from that, he’s going to have a great weekend, and I’m really looking forward to it for him.
“We were on the sim together a little bit. I was giving him a few tips. I think he has the highest chance out of us two of scoring a podium this weekend. So, I wish him the best of luck.”
