Bearman reflects on ‘not fully deserved’ point in Baku

Ollie Bearman made history in Baku by becoming the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two Grand Prix starts, but he revealed that his race for Haas was a big challenge.

Stepping in for Kevin Magussen after he received a one-race ban, the Briton got the opportunity to compete in every session at a track he has previously performed well at in Formula 2.

Bearman initially qualified in P11, two positions ahead of team mate Nico Hulkenberg, but Lewis Hamilton’s pit lane start meant that he was promoted to the top 10 where he ultimately crossed the line in the final points-paying position.

Like the majority of the field, he received a two-place boost as a result of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz’s late crash that dramatically ended both of their races.

‘I was a little bit cautious’ – Bearman assesses his performance after points on Haas debut

Running in P12 until the incident, Bearman said that his point was “maybe not fully deserved” but, combined with his seventh-place finish for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he now sits 16th in the drivers' standings with seven points.

“It was a tough race out there,” he explained. “I was a little bit cautious on my first stint and lost the pack a little bit. [It was a] bit difficult.

“Second stint was much better, I just got stuck a few times in traffic and every time I was trying to overtake, I was losing a bit of grip from the tyres overheating.

“It took me a few laps to recover again but whenever I had clean air I was able to have good pace, but clean air is not easy to come by round here.”

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Oliver Bearman of Great Britain and Haas F1 talks with Haas F1 Team Principal Ayao Komatsu on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit. (Photo by Peter Fox - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) — Bearman is set to drive full-time for Haas from 2025

Bearman bounced back from a crash in FP3 to finish just a few tenths ahead of Hulkenberg, but earlier in the race the rookie had allowed his team mate to pass him to advance through the field.

On lap 10, the two swapped positions and the German was ahead for most of the race, but he lost pace towards the end after hitting something with his front wing which allowed Bearman to pass back through.

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Asked whether he was planning on talking through the early team orders with Haas, the 19-year-old responded: “No, I don’t think it needs discussion.

“I was slower at that point and it was hurting the strategy, so it was on me to speed up. I was, just like I said, being too easy and when he overtook me I was able to see the pace is much higher and just to drive faster. It’s my fault and it makes full sense to swap the drivers.”