Oliver Bearman’s Ferrari Duties Puts His F2 Championship at Risk as Kimi Antonelli Impresses Guenther Steiner

Even since Nico Hülkenberg announced his move away from Haas, the F1 community has been expecting the team to announce Oliver Bearman as their driver. We’ve already seen what the Briton could do in an F1. However, according to Guenther Steiner, his Ferrari duties is what’s putting Bearman’s F2 season in jeopardy with Kimi Antonelli as his teammate. But what is it all about?

There was a point in Oliver Bearman’s season when he had more points in the F1 championship than in the F2 championship. The Briton was on pole for the Saudi Arabian GP but was called up by Ferrari after Carlos Sainz’s required medical attention. Bearman finished 8th and scored 6th points and is still P12 in the driver’s championship.

Kimi Antonelli on the other hand struggled in F2 in his first couple of as well, however, that was probably him getting used to the car. The Italian is way ahead of Bearman in the standing now even though they’re on the same team. After 5 rounds, Antonelli is P6 with 48 points whereas Bearman is P13 with only 18 points in the championship. Guenther Steiner suggests that the Ferrari F1 drive and duties are the reason why Bearman is struggling.

On the Red Flags Podcast, Guenther Steiner was asked, “Antonelli is whooping Bearman in F2 right now” to which he replied, “They are in the same team. I don’t know Kimi at all but everybody speaks very highly about him and his career upto F2 was very impressive. Obviously F2 he’s getting there.” He added, “I think with Oliver, the race in F1, doing FP1 is a little bit distracting for the F2 championship, to win it. If you can do an F1 race, 6 FP1 and win F2, it’s like it’s not easy to win F2.”

Regardless, Oliver Bearman feels that the Practice sessions in F1 are crucial for him to have any chance of Signing for Haas.

Oliver Bearman Reveals His Haas Seat Thoughts after Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber Move

Everyone expects Oliver Bearman to step up and join the F1 Viking, Kevin Magnussen at Haas. Ferrari tested the FIA’s wheel covers for rain and Oliver Bearman was amid the drivers testing them. He also had six FP1 sessions lined up for this year, which will possibly determine what his F1 future is going to be. His pace has been great in F1 compared to his F2 championship. He’s higher in the F1 championship than he is in F2 at this moment.

Oliver Bearman when asked about Haas being a possibility for 2025, explained, “Of course, I see it as my chance but just because there is a seat free doesn’t mean I’m entitled to it. I still have to go out there and earn it through good performances in Formula 2 but even more so in the six FP1s that I’m doing. I have to perform well and show that I’m ready to jump into F1 next year. I haven’t been set any goals. The pressure is mainly coming from myself because I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself.”

What do you think? Where will Oliver Bearman end up?