Haas F1 Team has confirmed Oliver Bearman will race full-time with the US outfit in 2025 after signing a multi-year contract.
Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman has officially committed to Haas for the 2025 F1 season after signing a multi-year contract to be part of the team’s lineup starting next season, the team has confirmed ahead of the 2024 British Grand Prix.
The announcement comes following rumours and speculation in recent months that Bearman would be joining Haas to take over from Nico Hulkenberg as he leaves to join Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber in 2025.
The young British driver—who has been a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021—was widely tipped to drive for Haas next season following his excellent debut with the Scuderia in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Bearman stunned everyone by leading Ferrari to a P7 finish after replacing unwell Carlos Sainz just before the race. Besides that, he was scheduled to make six Formula 1 appearances with Haas this season as he continues to rack up more experience.
His next FP1 outing is set to come at his home race at Silverstone this weekend, ahead of his debut as a fully-fledged Formula 1 driver next year. He will make more F1 appearances in Hungary, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi alongside his Formula 2 commitments.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” Bearman said. “To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud.
“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. To Gene, Ayao and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.
“To Fred, Marco, Jock, Alessandro and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you.
“Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised Bearman for his impressive FP1 performances with the US team last season as he continues to gather more experience before promotion to a race seat for 2025 F1.
“It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1,” he said.
“He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons.
“We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car.
“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”
Gene Haas, Team Owner of Haas commented: “I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in Formula 1.
“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.
“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond.
“This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent – both on and off-track – as we continue to compete at the highest level.”
