What Oliver Bearman did behind the scenes that was ‘impressive’ to Haas staff during Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Oliver Bearman had his second outing in a Formula 1 car ahead of his full-time debut at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Briton replaced Kevin Magnussen for the race after he was handed a one-race ban for exceeding the number of penalty points on his F1 super licence, which is capped at 12 points in a 12-month period.

Oliver Bearman was immediately on the pace from practice on Friday, setting quicker times than teammate Nico Hulkenberg then out-qualified him on Saturday.

Hulkenberg has previously been noted as being one of the best qualifiers on the grid by his engineer, so it was an impressive feat for Bearman to achieve on his debut for the team. Behind the scenes, Haas personnel were impressed with the Briton for one key attribute according to Autosport.

Haas impressed by Oliver Bearman’s quick-learning attitude

After finishing in 10th place at the end of the Azerbaijan GP, Bearman made an impression within the Haas team including team principal Ayao Komatsu.

“Not perfect, but pretty impressive,” said Komatsu, referencing Bearmans weekend.

According to the report, other Haas members felt he made a greater impression off the track rather than with his performances in the Grand Prix.

Bearman’s ‘quick learning attitude’ was highlighted as a reason why he received high praise, having also impressed Hulkenberg with his ability to stay calm under pressure.

Oliver Bearman makes F1 history with 10th place in Azerbaijan GP

Bearman made an opportunistic move for what became 10th in the closing stages of the Azerbaijan GP, with the collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez playing a key role.

Hulkenberg was slowing after the incident zone in Turn 2 when the green flags appeared, with Hamilton going on to overtake as they headed into Turn 3.

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Bearman pulled alongside and overtook him exiting Turn 3, enabling him to snatch 10th just before the Virtual Safety Car came out and ended the race.

It was the first time an F1 driver has scored points on debut for two different teams in a season, with Bearman also having acheived the same feat with Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian GP earlier this year.

A distraught Hulkenberg ended up leaving the circuit early and missing the driver’s debrief at Haas, owning to him being angry at losing the positions on the penultimate lap.