Ollie Bearman Inspired by Antonelli and Russell Battle

Oliver Bearman is closely following the evolution of his former Formula 2 teammate, the Haas Briton feels proud to see Kimi Antonelli fighting at the front of the grid with Mercedes and assures that this spectacle gives him extra motivation to keep growing. Bearman and Antonelli were teammates at Prema Racing during the 2024 F2 season, after which the Briton achieved his promotion to F1 with Haas (thanks to his spectacular performance as a substitute for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia) and the Italian made the jump with Mercedes.

While Bearman is establishing himself in the midfield, Antonelli has become one of the protagonists of the category with four wins in the first five races of 2026. The Italian has taken on the fight with his experienced teammate George Russell, an internal rivalry that stepped up a notch at the recent Canadian Grand Prix when they went wheel to wheel for victory in the sprint and in the main race.

Bearman, invited to the Drive To Wynn podcast, analyzed what happened in Montreal and did not skimp on praise for his two generation mates: "Those two are operating at an incredible level, it was really great to see the battle, how they pushed each other to the absolute limit but still respected each other, incredibly important between teammates, I really enjoyed watching them, and I also enjoyed watching Kimi take the fight to the front, of course I know him very well, he was my teammate in F2 and it's really nice to see him, I'm enjoying watching them and for it to continue for a long time" declared the Briton.

Bearman has had an excellent start to the season with Haas, he sits ninth in the drivers' championship with 18 points after five rounds, including a fifth place as his best result at the Chinese Grand Prix, and seeing what Antonelli and Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) can do when given the opportunity in more competitive cars only fuels the 20 year old's confidence.

"It's also great to see those guys fighting against people who have been in F1 for a long time, they are very well known and also very highly regarded, I'm not fighting at the front, I'm not in a top 4 car like them, but seeing that they can take the fight to their teammates and the competitors around them also gives me a sense of confidence for myself. I fought with them in F2 and F3, and now they are fighting with the best, so it's another proof that I can also do it someday" said Bearman.

The driver added that it is also extra motivation because it's great to see young guys winning and he is one of them and he would love to be there soon.