Oliver Bearman, the British teenager who has signed a multi-year take care of Haas, has revealed that Lewis Hamilton despatched him phrases of encouragement over a possible profession in Components One a number of years in the past.

The Ferrari-backed 19-year-old, whose contract with the American staff was introduced on Thursday forward of his dwelling grand prix at Silverstone, recalled the message despatched to him as a younger karter from Hamilton on Thursday on the Milton Keynes-based circuit.

“I obtained a video from him in 2015 or 2016 saying like ‘maintain pushing and hopefully you may make it to F1 sooner or later’ and right here I’m,” Bearman informed reporters.

“I believe he met certainly one of my mum’s associates and he or she received him to make a video. It was probably the most wonderful day of my life. I simply truly received reminded of it yesterday, I noticed the video once more. It was a humorous second.”

Bearman, who will race with the quantity 87, will probably be on monitor at Silverstone on Friday for first free apply earlier than handing the Ferrari-powered Haas automobile again to Kevin Magnussen for the remainder of the weekend.

It will likely be the Components Two driver’s third such outing with the staff in 2024.

The teen made a memorable F1 race debut aged 18 with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia final March as stand-in for Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who was sidelined by appendix surgical procedure, and completed a powerful seventh.

That made him the third youngest racer in F1 historical past, in addition to the youngest Briton.

Editor’s Picks

2 Associated

Subsequent season he’ll race towards Hamilton, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’s George Russell as the game’s British contingent. Williams’ Alex Albon can be British-born however races beneath the Thai flag.

“It is loopy to share this monitor with these guys who I’ve watched racing … it is one thing fairly particular and it is a pinch-yourself-moment as a result of these guys are in my eyes large stars,” mentioned Bearman.

“It is fairly wonderful I’ll share the circuit with them.”

Bearman has been a part of Ferrari’s academy since 2021, a path additionally taken up to now by Charles Leclerc and Michael Schumacher’s son Mick, who debuted with Haas however lasted solely two seasons.

Hamilton will probably be becoming a member of Ferrari on the age of 40 and Bearman recognised that would finally result in a gap on the Italian staff.

Leclerc did one yr at Sauber, powered by Ferrari, as a rookie earlier than returning to Italy.

“It’s each boy’s dream to race for Ferrari,” Bearman mentioned. “It’s not actually in my palms however all I can do is carry out at my finest. I’m centered on Haas and I’m actually excited to get began.

“It’s exhausting to not suppose that, however I’m not excited about it,” he mentioned of probably sooner or later changing Hamilton at Maranello.

{The teenager} gained the 2021 Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championship and moved as much as Components Three in 2022 earlier than his F2 debut in 2023, the place he completed sixth total with 4 wins.

Final weekend in Austria he took his first victory of the season in an F2 dash race.

Haas staff boss Ayao Komatsu mentioned Bearman had turn into “an extremely mature driver” and the world had seen that in Jeddah.