Here he is again. “El mago del mutor” is back, as his fans have nicknamed him on social media: in Baku, Oliver Bearman will race for the second time this season in F1. He will be at the wheel of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in the Azerbaijan GP because the Dane received a penalty in Monza for contact with Gasly, which led to him reaching 12 points on his super license and the consequent disqualification for one GP.
A second time then for the young Ollie, who last March already had a taste of F1 in Saudi Arabia when he took to the track in the Ferrari of Sainz, who had just undergone appendicitis surgery. A sensational result because the nineteen-year-old Bearman – who usually races in Formula 2 – without ever trying and on an unknown track finished seventh in his F1 debut in a Red.
Given the precedents, however, this time – even if Haas is certainly not a Ferrari – the expectations are higher because Ollie has done four FP1 sessions with Haas this season, so this is valuable experience for the race in Baku.
The point is that the young driver, as happened with Antonelli, is now subjected to enormous pressure. It’s the fans’ fault, it’s us journalists’ fault, whatever you want. But the fact remains that everyone ignores the enormous difficulties of entering a race as a reserve driver, with a preparation time necessarily limited and with zero experience.
Bearman was the obvious choice, as he is set to race full-time for Haas in 2025 alongside Esteban Ocon, who is leaving Alpine. But that also puts extra pressure on the young driver, as his race performance in Baku will be seen as something of a test for next season.
So at the age when a boy by law can only drive cars with limited power, Bearman takes a Formula 1 and races it. And he handles stress like a mature, highly experienced man. More than driving skills, the key to becoming a champion is this: having enormous inner balance under pressure. At 19, that’s certainly not easy.
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