BREAKING NEWS: Bearman knew Hamilton “wasn’t going to….” in Azerbaijan…read more
Bearman knew Hamilton “wasn’t going to….” in Azerbaijan…read more
Haas driver Ollie Bearman reflected on his battle with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he felt confident that the seven-time champion would race fairly and avoid aggressive tactics. Bearman, a rookie in Formula 1, defended his position from Hamilton for 23 laps before eventually being overtaken by the veteran driver, who seized the opportunity during the final 10 laps of the race.
Bearman had been leading Hamilton as they both moved up the order, chasing points positions. Both drivers eventually benefited from a crash involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap of the race, which promoted them into the top ten. Bearman finished 10th after the incident, securing a valuable point, while Hamilton finished ahead of him.
Recalling the duel, Bearman praised Hamilton’s clean and respectful driving style. “When you go around the outside, you know he’s going to leave you space, which is a nice feeling,” Bearman said in an interview with Motorsport.com. He emphasized that Hamilton’s approach gave him confidence in their on-track battle, especially compared to the uncertainty of racing against some other drivers. “In Turn 1, I knew he wasn’t going to put me in a wall. That’s always reassuring, and while the racing is hard, it’s clean.”
Bearman explained that after his sole pit stop, he rejoined the race a few seconds ahead of Hamilton. The gap between the two fluctuated as they cleared Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu, with Hamilton closing in as Bearman struggled to overtake Franco Colapinto’s Williams. Bearman admitted that as he pushed to catch Colapinto, his tyres overheated, creating the opportunity for Hamilton to make his move.
“He pounced on me when my tyres were getting really hot, and it made it easier for him to pass,” Bearman recalled. After the overtake, Bearman was able to close back in on Hamilton but was just shy of getting within DRS range again. Reflecting on the move, Bearman said, “It’s frustrating to lose the position, but with someone like Hamilton behind, you can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Despite being overtaken, Bearman still managed to finish in the points, thanks in part to the chaos in the final laps. Following the crash involving Perez and Sainz, Bearman and Hamilton passed Nico Hulkenberg, who slowed down after hitting debris from the incident. Hulkenberg had already clipped the wall earlier in the race, and concerned about a possible puncture, he dropped back behind Colapinto and eventually lost more places in the aftermath of the late-race incident.
“It went green again, and I managed to overtake him along with Lewis,” Bearman explained. He expressed some sympathy for Hulkenberg, noting that the Haas driver had his own issues that caused him to lose positions, but Bearman was nonetheless pleased to capitalize on the situation. “I’m sorry for him, but I’m happy to take the point,” Bearman added.
This 10th-place finish marked another strong result for Bearman, who had previously finished seventh in Jeddah while standing in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Bearman reflected on the overall performance, acknowledging that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix had been challenging. “It was a tough race. I wasn’t running in the points until the crash in front,” he said.
Bearman was particularly pleased with the speed of his car and his own performance, though he admitted to making a mistake in the first stint by being too conservative with his tyres. “I wasn’t driving very fast in the first stint because I was saving the tyres too much. In hindsight, it wasn’t really necessary,” he admitted.
He noted that the track conditions during the race were significantly different from the long runs in Free Practice 2 (FP2), which had influenced his approach early on. Bearman said he would take that lesson forward, adding, “I put that down to experience.”
Overall, Bearman felt positive about securing a point and gaining valuable experience racing against one of the sport’s greatest drivers.
About The Author
