Oliver Bearman talks about travel stress at the start of the season and what it’s like not to be recognized on the road yet
The move up from Formula 2 to Formula 1 came with an extra dose of stress for Oliver Bearman. While the junior series “only” had 14 events last year, this year’s calendar has ten more weekends in store.
The season opener in particular, with five races in six weeks, including trips to Australia, Japan, and the Middle East, took its toll. For the Haas driver, this schedule is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it was good for him to have so many races “because I was able to correct mistakes I made right away,” he says. “Last year, there was nothing worse for me than having a bad race where you couldn’t get everything out of it and then having to wait two or three weeks to show that you can do better.”
But the constant stress also meant that the Englishman was unable to recharge his batteries in between races and was away from home for a long time. “Between Australia and China, between Bahrain and Jeddah, I was on the road the whole time. Then it starts to drag because two weeks away from home feels like a long time,” he says.
“These triple headers are pretty tough. I’m glad we don’t have that many of them – but even one or two are more than enough.”
European season much easier
The traveling in particular took its toll on Bearman: “I’m not used to it, it was all new to me. I probably haven’t quite figured out how to make it as stress-free as possible,” he says, but believes that jet lag and energy management are things that can be learned over time.
And now we’ve reached a point in the season where there are still a lot of races, but at least there’s no more long-distance travel. “When you travel to the European races on Thursday morning or even Wednesday evening, it all becomes a bit easier and less stressful,” he says. “That’s why I’m glad I’ve got the most exhausting trips behind me.”
Nevertheless, Bearman emphasizes that as a Formula 1 driver, he is living his dream of driving the fastest cars in the world. “It’s my absolute passion,” he enthuses, pursuing his hobby away from the racetrack as well. He recently installed a new simulator at home. “So I haven’t seen sunlight for a while,“ he laughs.
Bearman: Nobody recognizes me on the street
And on top of that, the 20-year-old also has the opportunity to attend other cool events, such as the F1 movie premiere in New York. ”That was incredible,” he enthuses.
“I said on the red carpet – which was actually gray, by the way, so it was a gray carpet – that this wasn’t quite what I had in mind as a kid when I wanted to be an F1 driver. But I’m not complaining, because it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll always remember and cherish.”
F1 on top of the world!
Taking over New York for F1TheMovie premiere ❤️F1 pic.twitter.com/0AugxE5pFB
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 17, 2025
“I was really happy that I could share that with my girlfriend,” he says. “Things like that are crazy – and it’s really cool to share experiences like that together.”
And the Brit still seems to be spared the downsides of Formula 1 life. Unlike superstars such as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, he can still enjoy his private life as much as possible. “I can walk around normally without any problems,” he says. “Honestly, no one recognizes me, and that’s wonderful.”
