Newly signed Haas driver Oliver Bearman has defined his Components 1 race quantity alternative, after additionally revealing the story of a video message Lewis Hamilton despatched him as a child.
Bearman’s 2025 contract with Haas was announced on Thursday, forward of his dwelling British Grand Prix, and can see him make his step as much as a full-time F1 seat following a one-off look in Saudi Arabia for Ferrari.
Unique Oliver Bearman column: On the cusp of the F1 dream
One of many key selections a brand new F1 driver has to make is selecting a everlasting race quantity – with Bearman having briefly taken #38 when he stood in for Sainz at Jeddah.
For subsequent yr, Bearman will use the #87, a quantity he has raced with all through his profession and holds particular significance for his household.
“I’m going to make use of 87, that is confirmed,” he defined. “I did not get to decide on my quantity in Jeddah. And to begin with, even when I did, that was the final of my worries!
“It [#87] is the quantity that I raced because the starting and it is the quantity that my dad raced with – as a result of I am born on the eighth of Could, and my brother on the seventh of August.
“So, 87 is the variety of alternative, and that may proceed to be the case.”
Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Whereas Bearman has been tipped for the Haas drive for some time, he mentioned he solely received the ultimate nod after final weekend’s Austrian GP.
“Actually, till it was lastly confirmed after the Purple Bull Ring on Sunday, as a result of in F1 till you place a pen on a chunk of paper, it is not likely official,” he mentioned.
“I knew that it was what we had been working in the direction of, and that we had been just about getting there for some time. However you may by no means have fun too quickly, as a result of F1 is a fast-moving world, and also you’re solely pretty much as good as your final race.
“I used to be, in fact, relieved when it lastly happened, and I shared that second with my supervisor, who’s been with me all the way in which, and that was fairly an emotional second.”
Bearman additionally mentioned that reflections of the journey he has made to get to F1 prompted him to rewatch a video that Hamilton despatched him virtually a decade in the past.
Requested about racing Hamilton subsequent yr, Bearman mentioned: “It is loopy. And really, I used to be wanting again, and I obtained a video from him in like, 2015, or 16, saying “preserve pushing, hopefully you can also make it to F1 at some point.” And right here I’m.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, Oliver Bearman, Scuderia Ferrari
Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
“It is loopy to share the monitor with these guys who I watch racing. Even Fernando [Alonso], it is one thing fairly particular, and it is a pinch your self second, as a result of these guys are, in my eyes, enormous stars and somebody that I look as much as. And it is fairly superb that I am going to share the circuit with them.”
Bearman mentioned the video from Hamilton had come about by way of a good friend of his household.
“I believe he [Hamilton] met one among my mum’s mates or one thing like this, and she or he received him to make a video. It was like essentially the most superb day of my life. After which I simply truly received reminded of it yesterday, I noticed the video once more, and it was a humorous second.”
