Oliver Bearman has credited his teenage move to Italy with the Ferrari Driver Academy for shaping him into the driver and person he is today. The British racer reflected on the experience during an appearance on F1 Off The Grid.
Bearman joined the Ferrari Academy at age 16 and relocated to Maranello. He described the challenge of moving to a new country without speaking the language and being left largely on his own.
The driver recalled that the structure provided by Ferrari forced him to mature quickly. He spent time with older engineers, mechanics and his trainer, which accelerated his personal growth ahead of his Formula 1 debut.
Bearman made his F1 debut for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at age 18. He now competes in his second season with Haas and sits 11th in the 2026 Drivers' Championship with 18 points.
