Oliver Bearman shares what he’s not prepared for ahead of his first F1 season with Haas

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Oliver Bearman is set to make his full-time Formula 1 debut with Haas in 2025 alongside French driver Esteban Ocon.

It comes after the 19-year-old impressed on his F1 debut in Saudi Arabia with Ferrari around the Jeddah Corniche street circuit, when he replaced Carlos Sainz who had appendicitis.

Jeddah is known for being one of the most physical Grands Prix on the calendar due to its high-speed corners and the climate in Saudi Arabia, which reaches highs of 30°C even during the night for drivers.

It means drivers must be at peak fitness to ensure they can last the entire race distance without problems such as dehydration or fatigue. Karun Chandhok was impressed with how Bearman drove in the race, after finishing in seventh place overall on debut.

Oliver Bearman was in the unique situation where he was already competing in F2 on the Friday before getting the call-up from Ferrari on Saturday but explained how he immediately felt the differences when speaking on the High Performance podcast.

Oliver Bearman is not prepared for this aspect of F1 debut

Fitness is an important part of being an F1 driver, largely owing to the conditions that drivers face in the cockpit. Drivers have faced high temperatures before at the Qatar GP last year, which caused some to faint behind the wheel due to exhaustion.

The fitness required for F1 drivers is one aspect that Bearman believes he is still not prepared for, as he compares his current level to the one he needs to race next year.

“After a few laps in practice, I knew that it would be a physical qualifying and race because Jeddah is one of the most physical tracks on the calendar,” said Bearman.

“I knew I’d struggle after one or two laps with the neck, the legs, moving around, you have to be really strong with the core at the back. I’m F2 fit, I didn’t find that too challenging but not F1 fit, and I’m probably still not now. It’s a big step and something I still need to get used.”

Oliver Bearman will be the youngest British F1 driver

When he made his debut at 18 years old in Saudi Arabia, Bearman was already the youngest British driver and the youngest-ever Ferrari driver to make their debut in F1.

With the addition of George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris, it means at least a fifth of the grid will be taken up by British drivers.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver and Ferrari gem Oliver Bearman? Everything to know

Bearman has cited Michael Schumacher as his biggest influence in F1 due to the success he had with Ferrari, where he clinched five out of his seven world titles.

The Briton also shared the one piece of advice that team owner Gene Haas gave him ahead of his debut next season for the American team.