Rising F1 star Oliver Bearman dubbed 'future WORLD CHAMPION' by new team-mate

George Russell, Oliver Bearman, Lando Norris, Great Britain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Latest F1 News

Rising F1 star dubbed 'future WORLD CHAMPION' by new team-mate

Esteban Ocon has opened up about meeting 'future world champion' Ollie Bearman

Anujit Vijayakumar

Wednesday 31 July 2024 14:27 Updated: 15:16

After a positive first meeting, an F1 star has labelled his new team-mate as a 'future world champion'.

The 2025 driver market was always going to be chaotic, and as we reach the halfway mark of the 2024 season, that has more than proven to be the case.

F1 HEADLINES: Ricciardo snapped in SNEAKY Red Bull meeting as Horner reveals Perez decision

Article continues under video

While a handful of seats remain up for grabs, a confirmed face for next year is that of Oliver Bearman.

With a P7 finish at Saudi Arabia earlier this year underpinning his ability to hold his own in F1, Bearman will be joining the Haas lineup in 2025 alongside Esteban Ocon.

The latter, making the move from Alpine, expressed his excitement at teaming up with someone he sees as a 'future world champion'.

Esteban Ocon will drive for Haas in 2025

Oliver Bearman backed as future F1 champ

The 19-year-old Ferrari reserve driver, caused quite the stir in his F1 debut, when he replaced an injured Carlos Sainz at the second round of the 2024 season in Saudi Arabia and proceeded to finish seventh.

Bearman held off the likes of F1 veterans Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg, who secured the remaining three spots to close out the top 10, in what was an incredible showing.

The British prospect has now been touted for his driving prowess on the track by soon-to-be team-mate, Esteban Ocon.

Talking to GPFans and select media at the Belgian Grand Prix, Ocon said: “Yeah, I've spoken to him actually in Budapest, that's probably the first time that we met.

”He is a very young exciting prospect in Formula 1, many people are saying that he's going to be a future world champion.

"And yeah, I can't wait to be to be teaming up with him. As I said, you know, he's going to bring also fresh blood into the team new ideas like I'm also going to try and add to the team.

"I'm sure our collaboration is going to be great to lead this team forward, and hopefully going where we want to go.”

F1 Carlos Sainz Alpine Haas Esteban Ocon Oliver Bearman