Bearman concedes 'wrong mindset' derailed his F1 debut season with Haas

Oliver Bearman has acknowledged that a flawed mental approach cost him dearly at the start of his 2025 Formula 1 rookie season, with the Haas driver describing his Australian Grand Prix weekend as “a really bad start” driven by mismanaged expectations.

Bearman, who earned his Haas seat after impressing on his Ferrari debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, endured a torrid opening weekend at Albert Park. He crashed during the first practice session, spun into the gravel during the third, was forced to start the race from the pitlane, and ultimately crossed the line in 14th place.

“I probably entered the weekend with the wrong mindset,” Bearman said on the F1 Off The Grid podcast. “On top of that, we had a car which was not the most compliant. It was a really bad start.”

Reflecting on his season as a whole, the British driver was candid about the lessons a difficult year had forced on him. “Last year, I made a lot of mistakes. There are a lot of mistakes that, in hindsight, I definitely could and should have avoided. It taught me very quickly how I need to approach an F1 weekend. But there are also some mistakes that I think taught me a lot. It’s OK to do once, not to do it twice. So don’t do that.”

Despite the rocky beginning, Bearman’s season recovered significantly. A fourth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix matched the best result in Haas’s history, and the 19-year-old was characteristically direct in describing it. “That was a crazy weekend. We were simply flying. We were really, really quick and managing to hold off all of those very quick cars and very quick drivers.”

Bearman closed out his debut campaign 13th in the drivers’ championship with 41 points — edging his more experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon, who finished 15th on 38 points. The final standings offer a measure of vindication for a driver who, by his own admission, had to learn some of his hardest lessons in public.