Who is Ollie Bearman? Ferrari's teenage F1 supersub set for Haas drive

The 2025 Formula 1 grid will see highly-rated Ferrari Junior Ollie Bearman racing for Haas, following on from his impressive substitute performance for Carlos Sainz at this year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Bearman was just 18 in March when he became the youngest-ever driver to race for the Scuderia in F1. He was its first British pilot since Nigel Mansell in 1990.

His stand-in drive, on one of Grand Prix racing's most daunting circuits, and with minimal preparation, was so surefooted that it virtually assured him of a place on next year's grid.

“On the data, he didn't make a single mistake all race,” said a visibly impressed Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari's team principal, after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bearman had just a few hours warning that he would be making his F1 debut, after Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis.

He had already taken pole position for his Prema F2 team when the call-up came just before the final practice session of the weekend. He qualified 11th on the high-speed street circuit that rewards total commitment, but punishes the slightest mistake, and finished seventh in the race.

His team-mate for the weekend Charles Leclerc praised the “incredible job” Bearan did. “Everyone has noticed how talented he is and it is just a matter of time before he is in F1,” he added.

Despite car-related struggles in this year's F2 championship, Bearman's star has remained high ever since.

Here's how the British-born racer made it to the top.

Ollie Bearman: Ferrari F1 substitute's early years

Essex native Ollie Bearman was born in 2005, with the precocious racer taking to the karting track aged eight.

After graduating from his local karting club, he claimed the 2017 Kartmasters British Grand Prix, as well as a tranche of top-level karting championships.

For 2020, he moved up to the Germany-based ADAC F4 series, taking a debut win at Hockenheim. He returned for the next season, where six race victories were enough to clinch the title.

That same year he competed in the Italian F4 series where devastating form – 11 race victories and 15 podiums in total – saw him claim that crown too.

In 2021, he scored a victory in the GB3 series, by which time the serial winner was on Ferrari's radar. He was signed up to its junior academy at the end of that year.

Placed with Prema, often a port of call for Scuderia juniors, Bearman then enjoyed a strong FIA F3 campaign in 2022 which brought a third-placed championship finish, earning him a run at F2 in 2022.

Ollie Bearman's F2 heroics

At just 17 years old, Bearman joined an F2 grid packed with talent and experience.

Taking on the likes of rapid Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire, Mercedes man Frederik Vesti and Alpine protégé Victor Martins, it wasn't long before Bearman announced himself.

After a low-key start, he arrived with a bang in Azerbaijan, the fourth meeting of the year.

Tagging the wall in qualifying late on, the Brit told his team he had damaged it and had in fact bent his steering.