Bearman: 'I’ve shown what I can do but now’s the time to put all my learnings together'

25 August 2023

Entering the first of the final three rounds of his rookie Formula 2, Oliver Bearman is determined to prove that he’s not just quick on track occasionally but has developed as a driver who can be relied on to perform time and time again.

The PREMA Racing driver kicked off his first time back in the car after the summer break in fine form. He topped the opening Free Practice session at Zandvoort having been on the pace throughout. The Briton saved some life in his medium Pirelli tyres to set his fastest effort in the closing three minutes with a 1:22.715.

Reflecting on his return to the Dutch circuit, Bearman admitted the fact that Formula 2 were running without Formula 3 before them to rubber in the track for the first time since Baku made the challenge of finding his feet more difficult than initially anticipated.

“First of all, I was really surprised by the amount of dust on the track. The grip was really low, especially at the start of the session. It’s quite rare that we are the first category on track, obviously we're missing F3 this weekend to clean the track for us.

“That was a good session, just building up confidence, especially in the high-speed areas. This track bites you back a bit if you go off, so I was just trying to build it up step-by-step. I had the car underneath me there, which gave me good confidence and I managed to put in a decent lap.”

After three weeks away from racing, Bearman says the fact that PREMA team are reenergised and primed is spurring him on. His teammate Frederik Vesti’s top three finish in Practice is an encouraging sign for the Italian squad, as they square off directly against ART Grand Prix in both Championships.

The French team currently lead the way having regained the lead of the Teams’ Standings and Théo Pourchaire demoted Vesti to second in the Drivers’ Championship. Meanwhile, Victor Martins heads Bearman in the battle for the top rookie honours and a coveted spot inside the top five.

“We finished for the summer break; we wanted more especially considering our pace in these previous rounds. We have a lot of motivation as a team, I can see that when I went to the sim and everyone’s pushing really, really hard. So first of all, that’s really good to see and pushes me forward when I see how much effort they’re putting in. It’s nice to see we’re on the same page and we’re looking for the same goal.”

With downpours forecast over the course of the rest of the weekend, Bearman is optimistic that the rain will stay at bay for this afternoon’s Qualifying session. He is glad to have made the most of the dry running in Practice to adapt to how differently the F2 car handles the tight and twisty layout.

“I think we’re just going to have to take it as it comes. The weather, especially right on the coast, is going to be pretty changeable and unpredictable. To be honest, I’m quite happy to have a dry Free Practice because I’m quite sure that Qualifying will be dry, so at least you get good references for Quali.

“Not having wet experience here before, I’m quite sure we’re going to have a wet session at some point. It’s not the end of the world, but I’d rather have it the other way around.”

After achieving his third pole of the season last time out in Spa-Francorchamps, the Ferrari junior acknowledges that it might not be such a simple affair this time around, as the weather played to his and PREMA’s favour.

Despite showing flashes of unbeatable pace across the year, he’s struggled to match the points-scoring consistency of the leading contenders and sits 66 points behind the top spot. Eager to demonstrate how much he’s evolved, Bearman says the only thing he’s got left to prove is that he can bring the fight on a regular basis.

“Spa was a bit of a, not a lucky one because you have to do that lap and there weren’t a lot of people. It was like doing pole against four drivers instead of 22 because the other guys didn’t have the same track, but anyways it was a good session.

“Heading in Quali here, first of all, I have a good feeling with the car which is always important irrespective of the lap time because in the end, it doesn’t really crossover. But it’s always nice to have a good Free Practice where you feel good confidence in the car and I’m just looking to build on that for Qualifying.

He added: “I just want to put together what I’ve shown more consistently. I’ve shown that I can fight at the front, I’ve shown I can be on pole, I’ve shown all that. I don’t have to show anything else; I just need to bring it all together. I’ve been saying it for a while, but now’s the time I really need to do that.”