Ollie Bearman, the 19-year-old British Formula 1 rookie for Haas, has endured a disastrous start to his Australian Grand Prix weekend, compounding the pressure on the young driver making his full-season debut in 2025. The Essex native, who impressed in a one-off Ferrari drive in 2024, has faced a series of setbacks at Albert Park, Melbourne, leaving his team and fans bracing for a challenging event. With qualifying and the race still ahead, Bearman’s early struggles highlight the steep learning curve for the promising talent in his first season with Haas.
The trouble began on Friday, March 14, during Free Practice 1 (FP1), when Bearman crashed heavily at Turn 10, losing control of his VF-25 at high speed and slamming into the barriers. The incident, caused by a rear-end snap on cold tires, per team reports, damaged the car’s suspension and forced Haas to red-flag the session, per F1 broadcasts. Bearman escaped unharmed but was unable to continue, missing the remainder of FP1 and FP2 as the team repaired the car, per Haas statements. The crash, his first major incident in F1, drew scrutiny over his readiness for the season, per pundit analyses.
On Saturday, March 15, Bearman’s woes continued in Free Practice 3 (FP3), where he struggled with car setup, finishing 18th—over 1.5 seconds off the pace, per timing data. Haas cited balance issues with the VF-25, per team radio, as Bearman battled understeer and tire degradation, per telemetry reports. His lap times, inconsistent and marred by track limits violations, per F1 stewards, underscored the team’s struggles to adapt the car to Melbourne’s bumpy circuit, per engineering analyses. Bearman’s frustration was evident over team radio, per live broadcasts, as he called for urgent setup changes, per Haas reports.
Off the track, Bearman faced additional pressure from media scrutiny, with headlines questioning his inexperience after the FP1 crash, per sports coverage. His 2024 heroics—scoring points in his Ferrari debut at Saudi Arabia—contrast sharply with this weekend’s struggles, per F1 records, raising doubts about his consistency, per pundit opinions. Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg, finishing 12th in FP3, per timing data, highlighted the team’s car limitations, but Bearman’s errors have drawn particular attention, per team analyses.
As qualifying looms on Saturday afternoon, Bearman’s weekend hangs in the balance. His early mishaps—coupled with Haas’s midfield battle, per championship standings—threaten to derail his debut season, per industry forecasts. The young driver, part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, faces a steep challenge to recover, with fans and analysts watching closely to see if he can rebound or if this weekend marks a rocky start to his F1 career.