Two years ago at this very track, a young Oliver Bearman caught everyone’s attention when he drove for his current team during a practice session. Fast forward to now, at just 20 years old, he’s turned that early promise into his best Formula 1 result so far.
Bearman’s rookie season hasn’t been smooth. He’s had crashes, made mistakes, and even come close to a race ban. His speed was never in question, but the results just didn’t come together, until Mexico City changed everything.
He had finished sixth at the Dutch Grand Prix earlier in the season, but that felt more like luck than skill. This time, though, his performance in Mexico was pure talent.
Starting from ninth on the grid after a strong qualifying, Bearman immediately jumped to sixth by the end of the first lap. From there, he drove like a seasoned pro. He held his position, fought hard, and even made daring moves on George Russell and Max Verstappen during a dramatic on-track battle. Later, when Charles Leclerc got a penalty, Bearman moved up yet another spot.
After the first round of pit stops, Bearman found himself in third place. Though Verstappen’s one-stop strategy eventually got the better of him, Bearman still finished an incredible fourth. Holding that position against pressure from both Russell and Oscar Piastri was no small feat.
After the race, Bearman was full of joy. He told Formula1.com that it felt amazing to bring home so many points for the team and praised their great strategy. He also said going wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen felt surreal since he grew up watching him race.
This fourth-place finish equals Haas’ best result ever in Formula 1. The only other time the team achieved this was back in 2018 with Romain Grosjean in Austria. On top of that, Bearman’s strong drive helped push Haas up to eighth in the constructors’ championship, now two points ahead of Sauber.
For a rookie who’s had ups and downs all season, this was the moment everything clicked. Mexico City might just be remembered as the weekend Oliver Bearman truly arrived in Formula 1.
