Bearman: My goal is to beat Ocon this year

The 19-year-old impressed many with his stand-in performances over the course of the 2024 campaign. Bearman's first taste of F1 racing came in Saudi Arabia, as the youngster took the place of an unwell Carlos Sainz Jr. and muscled his Ferrari to a P7 finish.

Further races in Azerbaijan and Brazil convinced Haas boss Ayao Komatsu to acquire the services of Bearman for the upcoming season, partnering Frenchman Esteban Ocon at the American outfit who joins from Alpine F1 Team.

The Briton has enjoyed a stellar motorsports career so far, winning the ADAC Formula 4 and Italian F4 Championships in 2021 and ending his maiden Formula 3 season third in the Standings a year later.

His 2024 Formula 2 campaign proved difficult as Prema struggled to get to grips with the newly introduced chassis and aerodynamic package last year. The Essex-born racer ultimately finished 12th in the Drivers' Championship.

While Bearman will likely settle around the mid-pack for Haas in 2025, he still fully intends to make a solid impression by beating his more experienced teammate over the year.

Speaking to media including GRANDPRIX247 at Autosport International 2025, Bearman started off by heaping praise on his soon-to-be teammate. He said: "I'm excited to see how I get on against him. Of course, he's very fast. Everyone knows he's very fast.

"He was actually racing in Prema, the same team that I raced in in Formula 2. So all of the engineers know him. They all tell me that he's very quick. I'm going to have a good reference," added Bearman.

The teenager continued by laying out his expectations for the season: "He's going to be performing well and I just want to try and catch up to him. Of course, my goal is to beat him as everyone wants to beat their teammates.

"But I'll do my very best and I can learn a lot from him," concluded Bearman.

The 2025 Formula One World Championship commences 26 February with the first day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

Will Bearman challenge for bragging rights at Haas on his first full season, or will Ocon's experience shine through?