Sebastian Vettel said, “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they’re not, they’re Ferrari fans”; and he wasn’t being sarcastic. From drivers to presenters, everyone wants to be near the famous red car of F1. However, only the luckiest of the lot can dive into the cockpit, with a long list of such fortunate drivers making Ferrari the most successful team in Formula 1. And adding his name among these finest red stars, Oliver Bearman is nothing but proud of himself.

Ferrari had to call the ‘fastest bear’ in moments of emergency, and Oliver Bearman did stand up to the occasion! Carlos Sainz was out in Jeddah due to his appendicitis, so, someone had to fill in. Ollie was a reserve driver for Ferrari, and in moments like that of Jeddah, he had to step in. However, the story behind Bearman’s F1 debut is rather endearing; the chap felt unprecedented excitement. After all, he was going to be in the most famous red car in motorsport!

“I think I panicked a bit”: Oliver Bearman explains his F1 debut with Ferrari

Before learning how Ollie ended up in the Ferrari garage, let’s recap: Carlos Sainz Jr. looked unwell during the Saudi Arabian GP practice sessions. Initially presumed to have a fever, Ferrari later revealed he had appendicitis. The Tifosi then worried about who would replace their ‘Smooth Operator’. Imagine this: you’re sitting at the table eating lunch, thinking about your F2 race, and suddenly, there’s a call asking you to come down to the F1 paddock! That’s exactly what happened with Ollie.

Oliver Bearman has narrated the story of that one pivotal call that changed his career’s trajectory. “I put two and two together; I knew Carlos wasn’t feeling great, and I could feel a bit of excitement. Chris’s phone actually wasn’t working correctly, so I called Fred afterward, and he broke the news to me,” shared Bearman, adding, “I think I panicked a bit because he was telling me to come down and just head to the track and start.”

To some extent, Ollie didn’t believe when he heard of the news, so he had to call Fred Vasseur for confirmation. Oliver Bearman further noted, “I don’t remember it specifically because honestly, the whole 48 hours were such a blur that it was worded to the effect of ‘you’re going to be racing for Ferrari this weekend. You’re going to sub in for Carlos’.” Excitement and panic are the two most normal reactions to such huge news.

The host of High Performance pointed out something important. There’s a vast difference between “you’re driving for us this weekend” and “you’re going to drive for Ferrari this weekend.” Lewis Hamilton has longed to drive for Ferrari in his career. Oliver Bearman went from F2 to F1 within moments. And it was his standout performance in Jeddah that helped him secure a Haas seat. Now, he’s set to make his F1 debut next year and wants to focus on F2 for the time being.

Troubled F2 season and a seat at Haas F1, can Ollie stand up to the expectations?

Despite a promising future in Formula 1, Oliver Bearman’s present stint at F2 is pretty disappointing. Back in Jeddah when the Brit replaced Sainz, he was starting the F2 race from pole position. However, he had to throw away the race and report to his duties in Ferrari. Since then, things haven’t been in favor of the Prema star. Currently, in 15th place on the F2 driver standings, Ollie has failed to find balance in this year’s car. Despite that, he has shown sparks of his talent. Bearman won the Austrian GP sprint this year, marking his first win of the season.

Keeping aside his setbacks, Oliver Bearman has found a spot at Haas F1. This time, not as a reserve driver, but the No.1 choice of Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu. There are speculations that Ferrari has played its part in this promotion. Since Haas works in close alliance with the Maranello-based team, Fred Vasseur wants young Ollie to gain experience at the American team before moving to Ferrari in the future. These rumors are for the future, what’s in the present in Bearman’s F2 journey and shift to F1 in 2025.

From being a reserve driver to being an actual F1 driver, Oliver Bearman like many big names of F1 is now on his path to greatness. He has proven himself in Jeddah, where the excitement of being in a Ferrari car motivated him to secure points. Now, the future awaits to see the true potential of the fastest Bear of motorsport. Do you believe Bearman will have a glorious F1 career? Share your take on this in the comments.