Essex-born teenager Oliver Bearman made historical past on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he turned the youngest British driver in Components One historical past – and now he has landed a everlasting seat, as Mail Sport completely revealed final month.
The then 18-year-old scored six world championship factors in his Ferrari in March – greater than the six drivers on the grid this 12 months – and confirmed his expertise based mostly on his expertise in Components Two.
He has since returned to the second division, and final week in Austria he received his first race of the season, exhibiting he is able to make the leap to the massive stage – if he hasn't confirmed that already.
Nevertheless, this time he shall be at Haas slightly than Ferrari. He’ll once more need to go his personal approach – not likely going very far, however being given an opportunity to show himself.
However who’s the star seeking to take motor racing by storm, who’s 20 years youthful than Lewis Hamilton and probably the following torchbearer for British sport? Mail Sport Let's have a look.
British teenager Oliver Bearman has signed his first full-time contract with Haas from subsequent 12 months
The Ferrari Academy driver has made fast progress, making his F1 debut earlier this 12 months
Bearman is relationship Estelle Oglivie, who has over 100,000 followers on TikTok
Upbringing
Bearman was born in Might 2005 in Chelmsford, Essex, and started karting competitively in 2013, when he competed within the Trent Valley Kart Membership's championship.
His youthful brother Thomas can be a karting driver, whereas he has a sister. His father David is the founder and chief government of insurance coverage agency Aventum Group.
He attended personal faculty as a toddler and needed to persuade his mom, Terri, to permit him to depart faculty. Mail Sport Final 12 months he mentioned he had lastly acquired approval to depart his household and be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy on the finish of 2021.
The inexperienced sign indicated a transfer to Italy, the place he joined the academy 12 miles north of Ferrari's Maranello manufacturing facility within the northern a part of the nation. He has since developed an Italian accent.
“Possibly I used to be a bit fortunate that I didn't get an Essex accent,” he mentioned. Mail Sport'Lots of people have instructed me my accent has modified, even when I don't realise it.'
Bearman instructed Mail Sport final 12 months how he needed to persuade his mom Terri (proper) to depart personal faculty
Relationships
Bearman is believed to be relationship TikTok star Estelle Ogilvy, 21, who has greater than 100,000 followers on each Instagram and the video platform.
Particulars about how Ogilvy and Bearman met are scant, because the couple stored their relationship intently guarded, and only a few images of them collectively have been revealed.
A photograph of the couple was shared in March, though it was shortly deleted.
With over 2.6 million likes on her TikTok account, Ogilvy usually shares outfit inspiration and pictures of her travels along with her followers, although she has but to characteristic Bearman extensively.
Alongside her social media work, Estelle – who’s of French and British descent – is finding out for a Postgraduate Diploma in Legislation in London, and hopes to finish the Solicitors Qualification Examination.
The busy TikTok star is thought on social media as Foolish Lettuce, with Bearman's teammates at Prema Racing teasing the teenager by referring to his girlfriend in TikTok movies.
Particulars about how Ogilvy, 21, and Bearman met are scant, and few pictures of them have been posted on-line.
Alongside her social media work, Estelle – who’s of French and British descent – is finding out a Postgraduate Diploma in Legislation in London
Life in motor racing
Bearman started competing within the Tremendous One Nationwide Championship after being within the Trent Valley Kart Membership. By 2020, he was within the ADAC Components 4 Championship and Italian F4, and has progressed from there.
Within the 2021 season, he joined Van Amersfoort Racing to compete within the German and Italian F4 championships, and at one level received seven races in a row.
In October that 12 months, he started his profession in Components Three, collaborating in post-season testing with Prema, then driving for the group within the 2022 season. He completed third within the championship.
In November 2022 it was introduced that he would contest the Components Two season with Parma and he completed sixth within the championship. The season has been a battle – he has scored simply 28 factors and is 14th within the championship, though his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has struggled and is ninth.
In 2023, he made his Components One debut with Haas in free apply for the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, ending fifteenth and being on the identical observe with a few of the greats.
'After I heard Hamilton arising behind me on the push lap I assumed, “Wow, I'll get out of the way in which”, he mentioned after the session. He’s keen to do something, however provided that it's the identical subsequent 12 months.
Bearman is the third youngest driver to race in a Components One automotive. The drivers forward of him – Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll – aren't doing too badly. However with each success, there’s a failure. And he wish to ensure that he’s on the proper aspect of historical past.
Bearman started karting on the age of 13 and progressed by means of plenty of classes, together with two years in Components Two (pictured)
The 2024 season has been a troublesome one for Mercedes prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli (proper) in Components Two
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
As Ferrari's reserve driver for this season, Bearman was first in line for a drive when Carlos Sainz collapsed with appendicitis throughout apply.
Getting into qualifying with none apply classes, the newcomer certified in eleventh place, and narrowly missed out on a spot within the third and remaining qualifying session in Saudi Arabia.
When the race began, he stored his composure in one of many high vehicles and completed seventh in his first race within the sport. In doing so, he turned the youngest driver in historical past to attain factors on debut.
Hamilton, who made his debut concurrently Bearman when he was lower than 18 months previous, hailed his fellow Briton as a “future star” after the race and described his race as “phenomenal”.
“It confirmed what I'm able to,” mentioned Bearman, talking forward of the British grand prix this week. “Individuals with much less expertise aren’t that far behind regular teammates.”
He was known as as much as take part within the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March and completed seventh
He acquired widespread reward for his efficiency, ending eleventh and seventh total
Lewis Hamilton (left) described his fellow Briton's drive as 'phenomenal' and mentioned he’s a 'star of the long run'
He has sealed his take care of Haas forward of the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend
Contract with Haas
Bearman doesn't have to fret about security in his first Components One gig (at the very least off the observe). He's signed a multi-year contract with the group, which scored a complete of 19 factors this season – 14 by means of Nico Hulkenberg – whom he'll exchange – and 5 by means of Kevin Magnussen, and works intently with Ferrari.
'It's arduous to place into phrases how a lot this implies to me,' mentioned Bearman as he signed his contract. 'Having the ability to say that I shall be an F1 driver for Haas makes me really feel very proud.
'To be one of many few individuals who have been in a position to obtain what they dreamed of as youngsters is actually an unbelievable factor.'
Haas group principal Ayao Komatsu has mentioned of his man, 'He's as much as the job.' The subsequent British world champion? Possibly.
