Bearman: This is what I was born to do

Bearman was thrust into the spotlight at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari following the Spaniard’s appendicitis. A composed debut saw the London-born driver finish seventh, prompting high praise from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who called the performance “incredible.”

Bearman made two further appearances for Haas later in the season before earning a full-time seat with the American team for 2025.

“Of course I am living the dream and this is what I was born to do,” Bearman said in an interview with PA. “I am really happy to be here and if I can pass on some of that happiness and motivation to the team members then I am doing my job well.”

Reflecting on a season filled with surreal experiences, Bearman admitted that racing against his childhood heroes continues to provide ‘pinch-me’ moments: “In the heat of the moment you do not think about who is in the car, you just think about trying to overtake that car.

“But it is special looking back that I have been following these guys my entire life and now I am sharing the track with them. It’s a really nice feeling, said Bearman who has scored six points from the opening seven races but says extracting consistent performance from the Haas VF-25 has been a challenge.

Earlier this season, Jacques Villeneuve praised Bearman’s “aggressive” style, which the rookie believes suits modern Formula 1 machinery: “I’ll take that. The F1 car seems to naturally play to my strengths I guess,” said Bearman.

“I always feel comfortable in the car and agree with it at the moment. It is just a natural feeling, this is how I have always extracted performance from the car. F1 seems to be a little more natural and second nature for me.”

Bearman remains closely linked to Ferrari through its Driver Academy, and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has previously suggested that a future move to the Scuderia would be a testament to the work done by his team.

For now, Bearman insists his only focus is on the job at Haas: “I have always had that attachment to Ferrari and that is just natural coming through the academy. But I just try to focus on the job at hand and at the moment my career is lying with Haas. Whatever comes as a result of that comes as a result of that.”

The F1 grid now heads to Monte Carlo, and Bearman, who lives in the Principality, is relishing the opportunity to race at home in one of the sport’s most iconic events.

“I am so excited for that. It’s going to be insane and it will be nice to sleep in my own bed. It will be a special weekend. F2 on the streets of Monaco was special enough, so F1 is going to be incredible,” Bearman said.