Oliver Bearman arrives at Monza full of confidence for his first Italian Grand Prix
After three consecutive races with both drivers outside the points, Haas made an impressive return from the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend in Zandvoort. Both Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished in the top 10, with the 20-year-old British driver securing 6th place at the finish line.
Drivers’ optimism
For Oliver Bearman, a former Ferrari Driver Academy member, this marked his best result in Formula 1 to date. Now, attention turns to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where the young British driver will make his F1 debut on a track where he previously achieved two Formula 3 podiums and two Formula 2 victories in recent years. “Monza is a very fast circuit with excellent grip since it was resurfaced, and it always makes for exciting races,” Bearman explained. “I can’t wait to return to Italy because I love this country, its culture, and the fans are amazing. It’s another ‘home race’ for our design office in Maranello, and many team members will come to visit during the weekend, so I want to make them proud. I have a solid record at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, with wins in 2023 and 2024, so I have only good feelings going into this race.”
Esteban Ocon, in contrast to his teammate, has more experience on the historic Italian track, having finished 6th with Force India in both 2017 and 2018—results that remain his best F1 finishes at Monza. “The Temple of Speed is an incredible track, full of history, with an always fantastic atmosphere, and it’s a special race for me. It’s a low-downforce circuit, very different from Zandvoort, so the car should behave a bit more like it did at Spa, where we had decent performances, and hopefully we can replicate that here. On this track, confidence with the brakes and strong top speed are crucial in the race,” he said.
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