Bearman: Ferrari Academy Move at 16 'Shaped Me Into the Person I Am Today'

Oliver Bearman credits his teenage relocation to Italy to join the Ferrari Driver Academy with shaping the discipline and maturity that define his Formula 1 career. Now in his second season with Haas, the 21-year-old reflected on how leaving the UK at 16—and being thrust into an adult environment surrounded by engineers and mechanics—fast-tracked his development on and off the track.

Why it matters:

Bearman's journey from a lonely teenager in rural Maranello to a point-scoring Ferrari substitute at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix illustrates the intensity of modern driver development. His current form at Haas, where he sits 11th in the 2026 standings with 18 points while teammate Esteban Ocon is 16th with three, suggests those early sacrifices built a foundation strong enough to outpace a veteran Grand Prix winner.

The details:

• Bearman moved to Maranello around age 16 without knowing Italian, forcing him to adapt quickly while navigating a quiet city where weekend entertainment was scarce and social circles had to be built from scratch.
• He found himself surrounded by older professionals—engineers, mechanics, and trainers—which he says required him to mature rapidly to match their level.
• A minor frustration came when he earned his UK driver's license at 17 but had to wait until 18 to legally drive elsewhere in Europe, a reminder of his youth during an otherwise accelerated adulthood.
• The Ferrari structure compressed his timeline dramatically: he went from his first F1 test to an FP1 session and then to his shock Ferrari debut in Jeddah within roughly six months.
• That debut at 18 yielded points and launched his trajectory toward a full-time Haas seat, where he has carried that momentum into his sophomore campaign.

What's next:

Bearman's strong start to 2026 cements his status as Haas's lead driver and keeps him on Ferrari's radar for a potential return. As the season progresses, the focus shifts from whether he can consistently match an experienced teammate to how quickly Ferrari might want to bring its protege back into the fold.