Home / Sports / Rookie F1 Driver Bearman Outqualifies Teammate Despite Missing Practice
Rookie F1 Driver Bearman Outqualifies Teammate Despite Missing Practice
26 Oct
Summary
- Oliver Bearman had to skip Free Practice 1 due to F1 rookie rules
- Bearman outqualified experienced teammate Esteban Ocon for 6th consecutive time
- Confident of strong race pace despite qualifying struggles
On October 26th, 2025, rookie Formula 1 driver Oliver Bearman lamented having to skip the first free practice session at the Mexico Grand Prix due to the sport's regulations. Teams are required to run rookie drivers in two practice sessions over the course of the season, and Bearman narrowly missed out on that status after participating in three races last year.
Despite the missed practice, the 20-year-old Briton managed to outqualify his experienced teammate Esteban Ocon for the sixth consecutive time, beating him by 0.050 seconds to reach Q3. Bearman expressed mixed feelings, saying he felt he had extracted the maximum from his car, but was still missing a bit of performance.
Looking ahead to the race, Bearman is confident of making further progress, having shown strong race pace in Free Practice 2. He explained that the team's setup focus has been more on race performance than outright qualifying speed, which has paid dividends in recent races. Bearman will start the Mexico Grand Prix from ninth position, thanks to a grid penalty for Carlos Sainz.
