Rising Star Oliver Bearman Sets Sights on Challenging Max Verstappen

Haas rookie driver Oliver Bearman is eagerly anticipating the Australian Grand Prix, where he has his sights set on competing against reigning champion Max Verstappen. In a recent media interaction, including Motorsport.com, in Melbourne, the British racer was asked about the experienced driver he was most looking forward to racing alongside this season. His response was both candid and ambitious: “Max. If I could race against him, it would mean I’m doing pretty well!”

A Lifelong Dream Realized

Bearman went on to explain that several experienced drivers with rich backgrounds in the sport are on his radar. He grew up watching legends like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, and now, the opportunity to race alongside them is a dream come true. “I got to race Lewis quite a bit last year,” he said, “but if I can get close to him this year, it would be a good sign for both me and the car.”

Having already gained valuable race experience as a reserve driver for Ferrari and Haas last season, Bearman is eager to continue learning about the VF25 during the first practice session in Melbourne. He’s particularly interested in understanding how the car behaves on lower fuel, an aspect he wasn’t able to explore during pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Preparing for the Unknown

The Australian Grand Prix track is quite different from Bahrain, and Bearman is excited to see how the car adapts to this new terrain. He believes that the performance of the car on this track will provide valuable insights into the upcoming season. “If we can hit the ground running in P1 with a good balance and a good feel, it’s a sign that the car will perform well across various tracks,” he said.

The weather is expected to be hot over the weekend, a contrast from the cooler conditions in Bahrain. Bearman is hoping for a good starting balance and is ready to focus on fine-tuning the car’s performance.