F1 News
Relief for this F1 rookie: "That was a bit of a daunting prospect!"
Oliver Bearman was the first rookie to be confirmed on the grid for the 2025 season. For several weeks, no other rookies were announced, leaving the Brit under the impression that he would be the only rookie on the F1 grid for the upcoming season. However, as the 2024 season came to an end, four other rookies were also announced, meaning there was a sigh of relief from the Brit.
For a rookie, it is never easy to adapt to the world of Formula 1. 24 Grand Prix weekends are now in the offing for the 19-year-old, with performances expected to be of the highest quality every weekend, far different from any of the junior formulas that Bearman has taken part in.
However, the soon-to-be Haas driver has been extremely impressive whenever he has had the chance to get behind the wheel of an F1 car, which he did multiple times in 2024. At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he was a last-minute replacement for the unwell Carlos Sainz, only having an FP3 session to get to grips with the SF-24. However, he did just that, taking a fine P7 ahead of Lewis Hamilton around the Jeddah Cornice Circuit.
Bearman reassured after "daunting prospect" of being the only rookie
However, even though Bearman had the Grand Prix experience, something else was worrying him going into the 2025 season: "I was meant to be a rookie, but for a few months, I was the only rookie on the grid. And that's a bit of a daunting prospect," the Brit told Autosport.
But by the end of the 2024 season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto were also announced as rookies for the 2025 season, reassuring the Brit: "Knowing that there are other rookies is of course a little comforting – just to know that I'm not the only one going through a new season and a new challenge. There are other people doing it with me, which is of course a nice feeling.”
Bearman is particularly looking forward to the battle with Antonelli. The young Italian joins Mercedes after being Bearman's teammate at Prema last season. The pair know each other well and even became friends last season.
This article was created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen
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