Ollie Bearman really grabbed people’s attention when he won both the German and Italian Formula 4 championships in 2021. The teenager from Chelmsford had already enjoyed a successful karting career and won races in his first car-racing season during the COVID-19 pandemic, but winning the two toughest championships on the first rung of the F1 ladder with Van Amersfoort Racing put him on the map.
His family had a background in club racing and Bearman had originally meant to combine karting with F4 in 2020 because he wasn’t 15 until May. But the late start to the season because of COVID meant he didn’t have to miss any F4 rounds, providing the foundation for his outstanding 2021.
The then 16-year-old underlined his ability by taking a victory and three second places on a handful of BRDC F3 (now GB3) outings with Fortec Motorsports that same season. He finished a remarkable year by being selected as a finalist for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and becoming a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
After just two seasons in single-seaters, he also got an apartment in Maranello, where he did training and sim sessions, and joined the British Racing Drivers’ Club SuperStars programme as his career gathered momentum.
Some drivers go from F4 to GB3 or Formula Regional European but, having scored 18 victories across three series in 2021, Bearman jumped straight into F3. That meant going from a car with 160bhp to one with 380bhp, as well as a significant step up in downforce.
“To make the jump from winning the Italian and German F4 titles is something that can’t be underestimated,” said Bearman in 2022. “It’s a big step with a lot of new things that I needed to do.”
Bearman surpassed expectations in his F3 rookie season in 2022, effectively forcing Ferrari to give him a shot at F2 a year earlier than planned
Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Despite the leap, Bearman impressed on his debut with top team Prema Racing in the Bahrain opener, winning the first race on the road before losing out due to a track-limits penalty. There were no points next time out in Imola, but thereafter Bearman became a regular threat.
A run of five podiums in seven races, with the highlight of victory in the Spa sprint race, hauled him into title contention. In a chaotic Monza finale, Bearman rose from sixth to second and was challenging leader Zane Maloney when red flags flew. It meant he took third in…
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