F1 fans predict Oliver Bearman will have a ‘great career’ after hearing what he said to Alain Prost at Goodwood

Follow us on Google Discover

It has been a mixed rookie season for Haas’ Oliver Bearman, with just three top ten finishes so far.

The Briton showed a lot of promise last year after he jumped in to substitute Carlos Sainz at Ferrari on short notice in Saudi Arabia and achieved points on debut for Haas in Azerbaijan.

The 2025 season is his first full year, and it’s safe to say that it has been tough so far after crashes in practice and costly errors in qualifying.

It is all to be expected from a rookie in a midfield team, although Haas will want to see some improvement in the second half of the season.

Bearman has captured the fans’ attention since his stunning debut with Ferrari, and he recently attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he was seen getting rather excited about all the classic racing cars on display.

F1 Fans enjoy watching Oliver Bearman and Alain Prost exchange at Goodwood

One of the cars that went up the famous hill was McLaren’s MP4/4, which was driven by four-time world champion Alain Prost and F1 legend Ayrton Senna in 1988.

Bearman showed his F1 knowledge by discussing the car with Prost, including its history and what it was like to drive at the time in a video posted by Autosport.

Prost: “This was a very tiring car because we had no support.”
Bearman: “If you struggle with the neck, you’re gone?”
Prost: “I was very often using this part in the corner [points to seatbelt], in the corners. It’s like a go-kart, very light. 500kilos and 1000bhp.”
Bearman: “You must feel naked in a car like this? Incredible. I hope you enjoy driving it just as you did back then.”

Fans took to the social media website X (formerly Twitter) to express their joy, with one fan commenting: “I love this! Prost was my favourite in F1 when I started watching in the mid-80s. So cool seeing this”

One fan thinks Bearman offers something different to the other five rookies on the grid: “I think Ollie is a breath of fresh air to the sport, seems really enthusiastic about all the details, I hope he goes far.”

Others thought it was a good opportunity to learn a few things from Prost: “Learn from the best,” with another adding: “The professor giving a lesson.”

Another fan felt the exchange showed how much Bearman cared about the history of F1: “Love to see it! Bearman is going to have a great career.”

One fan added: “He so often plays the fool, but seeing this video, driving the old cars at Silverstone with Brundle and the one with Williams and Racing Bulls, I have been impressed with his ability to articulate his passion and knowledge about the sport.”

Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon impress with Goodwood burnout competition

One of the main showpieces of the Goodwood Festival of Speed is seeing F1 cars from past and present eras, with drivers often performing donuts or burnouts.

Both Bearman and teammate Esteban Ocon were locked into a burnout competition at Haas using their car from the previous season.

Bearman produced a spectacular burnout that took his tyres down to the canvas, while Ocon also managed to get close.

It was an impressive challenge between the pair as they took in everything that was going on at Goodwood and socialised with some of the greats of F1.