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Ollie Bearman Benchmarks Himself Against Antonelli Ahead of Silverstone
The young British driver looks ahead to his home race and reflects on the lessons of his Formula 1 season, keeping an eye on the performances of his former teammate.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-07-03T23:38:47.000Z - 2 min read
The build-up to the British Grand Prix serves as a moment of reflection for Ollie Bearman, who made his Silverstone debut last season. The Haas driver looks back on an event-packed start to his Formula 1 career, marked by both successes and tough lessons.
Bearman shares his Formula 1 journey with former teammate Kimi Antonelli, though he refrains from calling it a direct rivalry—Antonelli usually finishes a lap ahead of him. Even so, the Brit sees that gap as an incentive. It proves to him that, given the right opportunities, he can match those performances based on their shared history as teammates.
For the upcoming British Grand Prix, Bearman harbors hopes of a podium finish, a goal that drives him daily. Although Haas has never scored a podium since 2016, the Brit demonstrated his potential last year with a fourth-place finish in Mexico. While Silverstone's unique characteristics make a podium a tough challenge, 'anything is possible' in Formula 1.
A mixed start to this season—scoring points in the opening two races before suffering a heavy crash in Japan—has made Bearman more mature, by his own account. The impact of the incident, regarding which Williams driver Carlos Sainz had previously warned about the risks of new regulations, was also tough on his family. F1 bosses later responded with several rule changes.
Away from the racetrack, Bearman follows football closely despite demanding F1 schedules. He is an admirer of Harry Kane, drawn to the striker's consistent high standards. With a tongue-in-cheek comment, he wonders how the striker, considering his height, would cope inside a Formula 1 car.