Esteban Ocon has praised Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman, calling him “technically above” any rookie he’s seen in Formula 1 after a strong start to the season.
The British driver finished 14th on debut before going on a run of three successive points-scoring finishes in China, Japan and Bahrain.
Despite a DNF in the last race in Miami, Bearman has impressed as the second-best performing rookie in the standings, behind ex-Formula 2 stablemate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The head-to-head record between the Haas’ drivers stands at 5-3 in Ocon’s favour across both qualifying and race results – the 20-year-old keeping tabs with his veteran team-mate.
However, collectively as a duo, Ocon and Bearman have amassed 20 points to date, leaving the team in a stable sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship.
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the Frenchman hailed his partner in crime, who he believes has a keen eye for detail.
“Honestly, he’s been great, Ollie’s been amazing,” Ocon told media including Motorsport Week.
“He’s a super quick driver, super talented, very professional, very detailed on the car set-up.
“I think that’s straight away the thing I saw; technically, he’s above any rookies that I’ve seen in the past.
“He’s much more prepared than I was when I arrived in F1 or than any of our generation, I would say.
“Honestly, I think he has a bright future in Formula 1 – that is very clear.”
Bearman’s key lessons in lead-up to rookie season
Bearman made the step up to the Haas team following his final season in F2 last season.
Throughout 2024, however, he made appearances in F1, including his debut in the sport with Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
After standing in for an unwell Carlos Sainz, Bearman later deputised for Haas in Baku and Sao Paulo due to Magnussen’s suspension and then illness.
Bearman credits those opportunities, along with his experience as an F1 reserve driver, for the technical knowledge that earned Ocon’s praise.
“Yeah, of course, I’ve had a lot of experiences over the years now with Ferrari, with my TPC running,” Bearman explained.
“But also just being in the track as a reserve driver last year, listening to all of the debriefs and all of the comments from the drivers, how they articulate what they’re feeling has been quite useful for me.
“Even being a bit behind the scenes on set-up meetings and stuff like that, understanding what direction they tend to take with the car based on limitations and stuff like that.
“I’ve been able to learn quite a lot, so that’s been useful.”
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