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Oliver Bearman has revealed how he had to ‘really convince’ Ferrari to sign him as an academy driver.
20-year-old Bearman has produced a string of impressive performances since joining Haas as a full-time Formula 1 driver in 2025.
During his rookie season, the young Brit scored 41 points as he finished 13th in the standings, ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon, who was 15th.
So far in the 2026 season, Bearman has scored 17 points, putting him seventh and above the likes of Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen and Ocon.
Bearman first made a name for himself when he stepped in for Carlos Sainz at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Sainz was forced to withdraw due to appendicitis, and Bearman stepped into the Ferrari, qualified in 11th place before finishing the race seventh, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
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Oliver Bearman recalls signing for Ferrari’s driver academy
Speaking recently on the Up to Speed podcast, Bearman stated that he had to ‘really convince’ Ferrari to sign him for their driver academy.
The 20-year-old admitted that he was nervous but eventually managed to earn the trust of Ferrari by showing them what he could do out on the track.
When asked if driving for Ferrari is his main goal, Bearman said: “That is, of course, my target, especially after the trust that they gave me. First of all, to take me into their academy and invest so much in me from F3 all the way to Formula 1.
“Putting me in this seat with Haas, also to trust me with their car when Carlos (Sainz) was sick. They had other reserve drivers with more experience, but they took the shot on the 18-year-old, and luckily it worked out.
“So, they’ve obviously given me a huge amount of trust and believed in me from the very beginning. Actually, I went to that camp and really had to convince them to sign me. Because they were actually trying to sign karting drivers, not Formula 4 drivers.”
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Oliver Bearman reveals ‘really cool’ way he convinced Ferrari’s driver academy to sign him
When asked what he did to convince Ferrari, Bearman replied: “I would like to say that I was in there with a load of confidence and everything, but I was very nervous when doing the meetings with the guys.
“But, we went on track and showed them what we are really capable of first-hand, and that was a really cool thing that they do.
“They put the drivers to the test in front of them, it’s like football scouting, they see exactly what they are capable of. I hope to one day put on the Ferrari suit and race for them.
“I understand that it is a long journey, and I need to prove that I am capable of racing for Ferrari. The pressure is obviously much higher in a top team like that, so continuing to work with Haas is really fun, and I’m learning so much as well.”
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