Ollie Bearman faced a challenging return to Formula 2 after his impressive debut with Ferrari, as he received a post-race penalty in Australia on Saturday.
The 18-year-old from Chelmsford, Essex, made waves in the F1 paddock two weeks ago when he stood in for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia, finishing seventh and earning six points on his debut.
However, with Sainz back in action in Melbourne, Bearman resumed his regular duties, racing for Prema in his second F2 season.
In Saturday’s sprint race, Bearman climbed from 16th on the grid to finish eighth. But after the race, he was handed a 10-second time penalty for forcing Joshua Durksen off the track at turn four, which ultimately led to Durksen going off into the gravel.
As a result of the penalty, Bearman was stripped of his eighth-place finish, dropping to 14th and missing out on his first F2 points of the season. He also received two penalty points on his superlicence.
Meanwhile, Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, who initially won the race, was also penalized post-race and ended up finishing sixth after being held responsible for a crash at the start.
Looking ahead, Bearman acknowledged that his performances in F2 will play a crucial role in determining whether he secures a seat in F1 next year. Haas, which uses Ferrari engines, appears to be the most likely destination for him.
“After getting a taste of this amazing world, I know what I’m missing out on up there in F1,” Bearman told BBC East.
When asked about the possibility of moving up to F1 in 2025, he responded, “I think so. It depends on how I perform. That’s a childhood dream that I would love to achieve. I need to keep pushing in F2 to ensure that I can secure that F1 seat – that’s my main goal for this year.
“I need to maintain my good work and not let any setbacks affect me because you’re only as good as your last race.”
