BEAR TALENT
F1 teen Ollie Bearman to join Haas in 2025 after epic breakthrough – but will earn pittance compared to Lewis Hamilton
The teen star is the third youngest F1 racer behind two huge names
BRITISH wonderkid Ollie Bearman will reportedly join Haas in 2025 but will earn a smidgen of Lewis Hamilton's wages.
Bearman, 19, stole the show in his F1 debut in the Saudi Grand Prix after finishing a respectable seventh on a difficult course.
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The then 18-year-old caught the public's imagination after stepping in for Ferrari driver Carlos Saniz, who needed surgery for appendicitis in March.
And now Bearman will become the fourth British driver on the grid, alongside Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris, according to The Mail.
However he will earn significantly less than his compatriots.
While Hamilton is paid £50million-plus by Mercedes, Bearman is expected to sign for between £250,000 and £300,000 at Haas.
Bearman currently competes in the FIA Formula Two and is a Formula One reserve and test driver for Ferrari and Haas.
The Ferrari Driver Academy is paid nothing for competing in Formula Two, though the Italian team cover the cost of competition.
His promotion to a full-time F1 seat was helped by his brilliant performance in Saudi Arabia, and departure of Nico Hulkenberg for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
Bearman showed a solid display in qualifying, narrowly missing out on a place in Q3 to Hamilton as he earned 11th on the grid.
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Bearman, however, would more crucially get the better of Hamilton in one race day in Jeddah.
He managed to hold off the charge of two of Britain's biggest stars in Norris and Hamilton in the closing stages to finish seventh in his maiden F1 race.
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After the race, former world champion Damon Hill said: "A star is born."
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, who was alerted to Bearman's quality by his performance in Saudi, has given the Chelmsford-born star eight practice sessions in their car this season.
Bearman became the youngest British F1 driver in history and the third youngest overall.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen, who also earns £50m a year, is the youngest driver to ever start a race at just 17 years and 165 days.
Lance Stroll is the second youngest driver to receive a call up at just 18 years and four months old, when he started for Williams in 2017.