Back where it began for Bearman
The streets of Jeddah are fast, unforgiving, and steeped in significance for Ollie Bearman. It was here, just a year ago, that he made his unforgettable Formula 1 debut with Ferrari—thrust into the spotlight and showing the world what he was made of by finishing in P7. Fast forward to 2025, and now a full-time F1 driver, he’s not only proving he belongs on the grid, but playing a key role in helping his team deliver their strongest start to a season since entering the sport in 2016.
Practice
Ollie kicked off the weekend in Jeddah with a cautious start in Practice 1. After a slight lockup ten minutes into the session, he was one of the few drivers to opt for hard compound tyres early on, getting a feel for the track before switching to Softs for a later run.
By Practice 2, Ollie was finding more rhythm, climbing to P13 and showing promising pace. But just as he was gearing up for a flying lap, a crash by Yuki Tsunoda brought out the red flag, ending the session ten minutes early. In Saturday’s third practice session, Ollie was much happier with the car thanks to a stronger front axle, sitting inside the top five for the first 20 minutes of the session.
Qualifying
Later on Saturday, Ollie stormed through to the second qualifying session in P11, thanks to a solid early run on Soft tyres. But Q2 proved trickier and he struggled with rear grip, running wide a couple of times and ultimately qualifying P15 for Sunday’s race.
The Race
Since the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, every race in Jeddah has seen at least one safety car deployment with 2025 proving to be no different.
Off the line, Ollie avoided early chaos with calm precision, keeping his nose clean through Turn 1 as others faltered. When a collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly brought out the Safety Car just moments into the race, Ollie held position and stayed out, banking on a longer opening stint on the medium compound tyres.
By Lap 12, he’d found his rhythm—executing a clean overtake on Gabriel Bortoleto and later moving ahead of his teammate Esteban Ocon in a confident, well-judged move. His first and only pit stop came on Lap 18, switching to hard tyres and rejoining near the back of the midfield train.
The second half of the race became a test of tyre management and mental focus. Ollie kept it tidy and consistent—making gains as the field stretched out. While others faded or fought messy battles, he stayed measured, picking off cars when the opportunity came.
With no further Safety Cars to compress the pack, Ollie’s one-stop strategy saw him push the limits of the hard compound, ultimately bringing the car home in P13. Not the fireworks of Bahrain, but a composed, mature drive—showing once again that Ollie knows how to go the distance when it counts.
Jeddah might have been where the journey began, but today proved just how far he’s already come.
Looking Ahead
Another composed and competitive drive from Ollie in Jeddah further cements his status as one of the most consistent rookies on the grid, with Mercedes driver and former F2 team mate Kimi Antonelli the only rookie sitting above him in the drivers’ championship.
While points weren’t on the table this time, his performance—combined with more valuable data gathered for the team—keeps Haas firmly in the midfield fight who are now sitting 6th in the constructors’ championship.
Next stop: Miami, for Round 6 of the 2025 season—under the lights of South Florida, from 2–4 May.
