Haas F1 Team Signs Teenage British Driver Oliver Bearman on Multi-Year Deal Starting 2025

The Haas Formula 1 team has secured Oliver Bearman on a multi-year deal, starting from 2025. The announcement came on Thursday, although further details were not disclosed.

The 19-year-old British driver will replace German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who is set to join Sauber at the end of the year ahead of its rebranding to Audi in 2026.

Bearman expressed his excitement, stating, “It's hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for (the) Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud,” he said. “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 caught attention with a seventh-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, where he substituted for Carlos Sainz Jr., who was sidelined due to appendicitis. At 18, Bearman became the third-youngest driver in F1 history, having had only two practice sessions with Haas in 2023. Despite his limited experience, he delivered an impressive performance on the challenging circuit.

Currently competing in the F2 championship, Bearman is also a reserve driver for Ferrari and Haas, which uses a Ferrari engine. He recently won the Austrian GP sprint race with Prema Racing in F2.

In 2021, Bearman joined the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy, being recognized as a rising talent. “I wouldn't be here without you,” he said to Ferrari. “Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.”

Haas team owner Gene Haas shared his optimism for Bearman's future with the team. “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,” Haas commented. “I'm personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for (the) Haas F1 Team next season and beyond.”

Bearman's promotion will increase the number of British drivers on the F1 grid to four, joining Lewis Hamilton (who is moving to Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes), and Lando Norris (McLaren).