Although a total of four Grands Prix Ain’t exactly
a large sample size…
It has been a very long times since I can
recall such an abundance ‘O Formula 1 rookies joining the grid. Which according
to my informal archives, last occurred nine seasons ago in 2017. As Pierre
Gasly and Lance Stroll remain upon the F1 Grid. Whilst the 2019 and 2023
seasons saw four F1 rookies apiece. With 2019 featuring the top three F2
finishers: Lando Norris, George Russell and Alexander Albon. Whilst 2023 F1
rookies Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri remain on the grid…
Oliver
Berman
Team: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
Nationality: United Kingdom
Birthplace: Havering, London
DOB: May 8, 2005; Age: 19
Car No. 87
Believe that “Ollie”, aka Oliver Bearman is
still a rookie, albeit having made three starts last season, substituting for
Carlos Sainz Jr. at Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen at Haas. As His three Grands
Prix starts excluded Him from participating in the Post Abu Dhabi Young Drivers
test.
Ollie’ began racing Go Karts at age seven,
capping a very successful Karting career in 2020, before graduating to Single
Seaters.
Bearman made His racecar debut in the 2020 ADAC
(German) Formula 4 series and scored His maiden win at the Hockenheimring.
Later that year He made His debut in the Italian F4 series and also claimed
victory at Vallelunga.
Twenty Twenty-One was a magical year for
Bearman, as the Bloody brit’ dominated the Italian F4 Championship, sweeping
the title with eleven wins! And then claimed the German F4 Championship title
with a further six victories.
The following year, Oliver graduated to the FIA
formula 3 Championship, driving for Prema Racing alongside Jack Crawford and Arthur
Leclerc. Bearman wound-up third overall and claimed one W’, the Sprint race at
thee Mighty Spa, aka Spa-Francorchamps. He also became a Ferrari Academy driver
that year.
For 2023, Ollie made the step up to FIA Formula
2, continuing with Prema, alongside Mercedes Junior Driver Frederik Vesti.
Bearman would claim sixth in the championship with four wins, including an
impressive “double” at Baku. Becoming just the fourth F3 rookie to win both
Sprint and feature races on the same weekend.
Continuing with Prema, now partnered by
Mercedes Junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Bearman had a disappointing
season, finishing 12th overall with three Sprint race wins to His credit.
Bearman missed the Jeddah and Baku rounds due
to deputizing as reserve driver in F1. First in a last minute call-up for
Carlos Sainz Jr. having an emergency appendectomy, where He finished a
sensational seventh for Ferrari!
Next Bearman scored points again as Kevin Magnussen’s
substitute at Azerbaijan, where the Dane’ was serving a one race ban. Finishing
P10 for Haas. Then slithered home P12 at Sao Paolo after being given a 10
second penalty for colliding with Williams Franco Colapinto.
Jack
Doohan
Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team
Nationality: Australian
Birthplace: Gold Coast, Queensland
DOB: January 20, 2003; Age: 22
Car NO. 7
Yes, Jack Doohan is the son of five times GP500
Grand Prix Motorcycle World Champion Mick Doohan. Interestingly, Jack began Go
Karting at age nine with a go Kart given to Him by none other than Michael Schumacher!
After a successful Karting career, Jack made
His single seater debut at age 15 in 2018, when competing in the F4 British
championship. Racing for Arden alongside Red Bull Junior Driver Dennis Hauger,
Doohan finished fith overall with three wins.
Next Doohan raced in the F3 Asian series,
finishing Vice Champion, Er runner-up twice consecutively. Along with racing
for Double R Racing in the Euro Formula Open series.
Doohan then graduated to the FIA formula 3
Championship for 2020, where He had less than stellar results driving for HWA
Racelab. The following year He moved to Trident, where one of His teammates was
David Schumacher, son of Ralf.
Jack made history at the Spa-Francorchamps
round by becoming the first driver to win two races in a weekend. Yet
ultimately lost the F3 title to Dennis Hauger; who will contest His rookie Indy
NXT campaign for Andretti global this year
After contesting the final two rounds of that
year’s Formula 2 season, Doohan raced His first full FIA F2 season for Virtuosi
Racing alongside Marino Sato in 2022. Doohan scored three poles and three wins
enroute to sixth overall in the championship.
For 2023, Jack remained with virtuosi and
finished third overall on the strength of two poles and three victories, before
leaving F2 at season’s end.
Having been a Red bull Junior Driver between
2017 and 2021, Doohan switched to the Alpine Academy for 2022, and got His
first taste of Formula 1 machinery in Qatar that year. Making His Free Practice
(FP) debut at Mexico City, and then again at Abu Dhabi. Also participating in
that year’s post Abu dhabi Young Drivers test.
Continuing His testing duties for Alpine the
following year, Jack was named as the team’s reserve driver for the 2024 F1
season, before making His Formula 1 debut at the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand
Prix for the ousted Esteban Ocon.
Not sure why I felt compelled to track Doohan’s
F1 debut outing, other than I suppose I was curious how He’d acquit Himself?
Thus recording the following weekend’s positions, beginning with Friday’s (Free
Practice) FP1 outing: P19-19-14-20-15.
Thus finishing 15th in His first Grand Prix,
where He dorve the team’s No. 61 entry, Arse-sumedly it’s reserve car number.
As now the pressure surely rachets up, with the season commencing Down Under on Home soil in Bloody Melbourne, March 16th, Righto? Where the Aussie’s will be delirious over having two of their Mates’ on the Formula 1 grid…
