Great Britain’s Oliver Bearman has been signed by Haas on a multi-year contract.
Bearman is currently competing in F2 where he lies 14th in the standings after a difficult start to the season, but took four wins in his rookie campaign in 2023 which included a memorable Sprint and Feature Race double in Azerbaijan where he dominated every session that weekend.
He also claimed his first win of this season in the Austrian Sprint last weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
The 19 year-old also is familiar with Haas having done three FP1 sessions and the 2023 post-season Young Drivers’ test, whilst he finished seventh on his F1 debut for Ferrari as an emergency replacement for Carlos Sainz in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier this season.
His performance also saw him become the youngest British driver to score points on their F1 debut, especially in the light of the fact that he had only driven in FP3 and Qualifying before the “physically demanding” race which drew praise across the paddock.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” commented Bearman who has signed a multi-season deal.
“To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud. To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.”
Bearman proceeded to pay tribute to everyone at Haas for their support in making this opportunity happen, including team owner – Gene Haas and Team Principal, Ayao Komatsu plus Ferrari Driver Academy.
“To Gene, Ayao and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.
“To Fred, Marco, Jock, Alessandro and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”
Gene Haas added: “I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in Formula 1 – he’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team.
“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond. This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent – both on and off-track – as we continue to compete at the highest level.”
Komatsu meanwhile paid tribute to Ferrari for nurturing Bearman and trusting the team to run Bearman in FP1 sessions.
“He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons. We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car.
“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”
Bearman stepped up to single-seater racing in 2020 and recorded top-ten championship finishes in ADAC F4 and Italian F4, before he made history a year later as he won the title in both categories in the same season then finished third in 2022 F3 season.
Details of Bearman’s teammate will be confirmed in due course with Kevin Magnussen considered a possibility to stay to provide continuity, following Nico Hulkenberg’s decision to re-join Sauber ahead of their transition to Audi in 2026 when new regulations come into effect.
Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant and Guanyu Zhou are however reportedly in contention for Haas’ second seat, should Magnussen depart the team at the end of this season as seems likely to happen.
| Team | Driver |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen |
| Sergio Perez | |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc |
| Lewis Hamilton | |
| McLaren | Lando Norris |
| Oscar Piastri | |
| Mercedes | George Russell |
| TBA | |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso |
| Lance Stroll | |
| RB | Yuki Tsunoda |
| TBA | |
| Haas | Oliver Bearman |
| TBA | |
| Williams | Alex Albon |
| TBA | |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly |
| TBA | |
| Sauber | Nico Hulkenberg |
| TBA |
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