Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur was deeply impressed by Oliver Bearman following his strong performance at the Mexican Grand Prix. The young Brit crossed the finish line in fourth place with his Haas – his best Formula 1 result to date. For a moment, Vasseur – who knows Bearman from Ferrari’s training program – even thought a podium finish was in sight.
“At one point, I thought he (Bearman) would end up on the podium,” Vasseur told the media in Mexico City. “He did a great job. If you look at the beginning of the season, he’s been performing strongly anyway. Often he had minor issues during the weekend – in qualifying or in the race – but this time everything went smoothly. He didn’t make a single mistake, and that paid off. It’s also good for the team that both cars finished in the points. My congratulations to Ayao (Komatsu) and to Ollie.” Bearman made his Formula 1 debut with Ferrari last year, when he stepped in for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia. Then he finished in an impressive seventh place.
The Brit started the race in Mexico in ninth place, but moved up to sixth in the opening lap. In lap six, he impressed with a daring double overtaking maneuver on Max Verstappen and George Russell, which even put him in third place for a while. Eventually, he had to give up that position in the final stages, but he did score his seventh points finish of the season – and his third in a row. The 20-year-old Brit himself was proud of his achievements, although he mainly praised the work of his team.
Feeling Great
“It feels great,” Bearman responded. “We had a fantastic race. I kept Verstappen behind me in the first stint, the two Mercedes in the second, and a McLaren in the third. So yes, I was under a lot of pressure,” he grinned. “I was looking more in my rear-view mirror than ahead – but that’s how it goes sometimes,” he added with a laugh. “I’m incredibly proud of the team, as this result confirms all the hard work we’ve put in over the past races.”
With this strong series, Bearman climbs to the thirteenth place in the championship, ahead of his more experienced teammate Esteban Ocon, who finished ninth in Mexico. The young Haas driver hopes that his performance in Mexico is a harbinger of what’s to come. “I didn’t expect to be fighting with a McLaren, a Red Bull, or a Mercedes this year. Of course, I dreamed of doing that someday, but the fact that it’s happening now is special. Hopefully, this motivates everyone within the team to be back at the forefront soon.”
