F1 record-breaker’s gruelling pre-season schedule after being ‘put in his place'

Oliver Bearman has opened up on a “crazy” pre-season schedule alongside Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar.

Bearman, just 19, is in the middle of his preparations for a debut season as a full-time driver in F1. He was signed by Haas having been named as a reserve by both his current team and Ferrari last term.

He became the youngest driver ever in Ferrari’s long history after driving at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in place of Carlos Sainz. And Bearman has looked to plenty of sources for knowledge on how to get his body into top shape for a gruelling F1 season.

That includes turning to cycling star and three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, who is pushing Bearman to his limits. Speaking to The Times, the youngster said: “I wish I was a cyclist or a tennis player or football player in that I could practise my sport every single day. That would be a dream. I can’t run for two hours, I think I would be in bed for the entire week if I tried to.

He added: “When I cycle with Tadej [Pogacar], it puts me back in my place, for sure. We’ll be climbing any hill at what is an easy pace for him, and he’s talking to me like we are now, and I’m at the limit of what I can do. It’s just crazy.

“They go out for five hours, 200 kilometres, and then the next day they do it all again. It’s crazy to see, but it’s also really motivating to push myself further.

“But it’s also a bit sad as well that they’re so good — I know I’ll never be that good. I’m going to try and get him [Pogacar] to Monaco [GP], so at least he can sit in the car.”

Bearman will certainly hope that his energy-sapping preparations are enough to see him make an impression for Haas during the upcoming campaign. He collected a total of seven points for Ferrari and Haas last season.

He sealed seventh place in Saudi Arabia, becoming the youngest-ever driver to secure points on his F1 debut. Bearman was then behind the wheel for Haas in Azerbaijan, replacing Kevin Magnussen and finishing tenth.

But his third race was slightly more difficult after being involved in a number of controversial incidents. He was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto but eventually finished 12th in Sao Paolo.

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