Oliver Bearman takes 'huge confidence' from Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar's F1 rise

Haas driver Oliver Bearman says that watching his former junior category rivals Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar thrive at the front of the Formula 1 grid gives him a "huge amount of confidence" for his own future.

While Haas began the year capable of fighting for top-five finishes, the American outfit has since lost ground in the mid-season development race. The Briton currently sits 13th in the drivers' championship with 18 points, while his team-mate Esteban Ocon is 17th with three points. As a result, Haas is seventh in the constructors' standings with 21 points.

In contrast, Bearman's former Formula 2 competitors Antonelli and Hadjar are currently competing at the front of the grid. Antonelli, who was Bearman's team-mate in F2, currently leads the drivers' standings with 219 points, and Hadjar is eighth with 68 points.

During an appearance on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, Bearman was asked if Antonelli's strong year provides reassurance that he merely requires the right car to fight at the front. The 21-year-old confirmed that watching his former peers succeed offers a benchmark for him. 

"I take a huge amount of confidence in that, and that's probably why I can sleep well at night," Bearman explained. "Knowing that Kimi, even Isack, you know, these are guys who are performing incredibly well in cars that are also very fast.

"It proves to me that I have what it takes because I've raced these guys throughout my junior career and have stacked up positively against them.

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

 "That tells me that it's just a matter of time. I'm not in a rush, but when I get the car that can win races, I'm going to win races."

While Bearman has already proved his worth in F1, scoring points on his debut with Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and outperforming his team-mate in his rookie season, he acknowledged that his current machinery limits his results.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, Bearman added: "For me, the goal is purely on personal performance because I'm not in control of how fast our competition is, and nor are we really in control of how fast we are at certain moments."