Oliver Bearman: Haas Formula 1 team signs young Briton for 2025 and beyond

Bearman replaced Carlos Sainz in Jeddah after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis.

Although he did not drive the car until final practice – Sainz had driven on Friday – Bearman qualified 11th and finished seventh in the race.

Speaking at Silverstone on Thursday at the start of the British Grand Prix weekend, Bearman said he believed his performance in Jeddah had been a “major contributor” to his promotion to F1.

“It showed what I was capable of,” he said, “that guys with less experience are not that far behind the normal cohort.”

He said he had known for some time that he was heading for the Haas seat in 2024, but it was finally confirmed on Sunday after the Austrian Grand Prix.

“It was a very emotional moment,” he said. “I worked very hard for this and the sacrifices I had to make paid off.”

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu said: “It’s exciting to be able to offer a talented young driver like Oliver Bearman his first full-time drive in Formula 1.

“He has become an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari driver academy and the world saw this with its own eyes when he was called up at the last minute to compete in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.”

Bearman said he hasn't set any specific goals for his first full season next year, but he wants to continually improve throughout the year.

“I just want to be proud of my performance,” he said. “You know if you did a good job or not.”

And he said it was “incredible to think” he would be racing against heroes such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, both of whom praised Bearman for his drive in Jeddah.

Bearman, who has been a member of the Ferrari driver academy since 2021, will join Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris, meaning 20% ​​of the F1 grid will be made up of British drivers next year.

Additionally, Williams driver Alex Albon, who races under the Thai flag, was born in London and holds dual Thai and British citizenship.

“Oliver has proven that he is more than up for the task, and we have seen this for ourselves, running him in the Haas cars during our first test sessions over the last two seasons,” added Komatsu.

“We look forward to developing him further as a driver and reaping the rewards of his talent, both inside and outside the car.”