Sawt Falasteen - British teen Oliver Bearman signs for Haas F1 team for 2025

The 19-year-old, who made an impressive F1 debut by finishing seventh for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this year, has signed a "multi-year" contract.

Bearman is currently a member of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and a reserve driver for Ferrari while contesting the Formula 2 Championship for Prema Racing.

"It's hard to put into words just how much this means to me," Bearman said in a statement from Haas.

"To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for... Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud.

"To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible."

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said: "It's an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1.

"He's developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari driver academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix."

In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, Bearman deputised for Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis.

He qualified 11th despite not driving the car until the final practice. He went on to finish seventh in the race.

Bearman will be the fourth Briton on the F1 grid next year, alongside Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris.

P.AbuBaker--SF-PST