The day before Ollie Bearman took the wheel of Kevin Magnussen’s car at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the driver made a point of introducing himself to the Haas team. Bearman greeted everyone on Thursday, establishing an early connection with the team.

After completing his media duties, Bearman’s real task began on Friday. With F1’s later schedule giving him a rare break from his usual early-morning Formula 2 duties, the youngster strapped into the car for his first F1 experience in Baku. The session saw Bearman complete two medium stints followed by a run on soft tires. Ollie finished 11th, ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, despite the latter dealing with DRS issues.

What stood out the most was Bearman’s composure. His radio remained mostly silent throughout the session, aside from one moment when he reported tire graining during a long stint. “That’s typical for rookies—they’re just absorbing so much,” explained Ed Brand, Haas’s driver performance and strategy engineer. In FP2, Bearman was still running close to Hulkenberg, finishing 10th and proving he is able to challenge the more seasoned drivers.

Saturday brought the first major setback. In FP3, under gray skies and on a slick track, Bearman pushed too hard and locked up his tires, clipping the barrier at Turn 1. His session was over after two laps, giving his team a tough job to rebuild the car before the qualifying session. Despite the crash, Bearman rewarded the team’s efforts by outqualifying Hulkenberg, narrowly missing out on Q3 after a mistake. Bearman’s frustration was evident, as the driver slapped his steering wheel after the session.

The race itself was a mixed bag. Starting from 10th due to a Lewis Hamilton penalty, Bearman struggled with pace early on, losing time by over-managing his tires. "I just lost a lot of time in the first stint not driving fast enough,” Bearman later admitted. His team also acknowledged communication issues, failing to inform him of the need for more aggressive driving. By the second stint, Bearman was in form, closing the gap to Hulkenberg, who was locked in a battle with the Williams duo.

As the race neared its end, Bearman was holding steady in 13th when a series of events played to his advantage. Hulkenberg clipped the wall, damaging his car, and then hit debris from the collision between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz. This opened the door for Bearman, who followed Hamilton past Hulkenberg into 10th place, securing his second points finish of the season.

After the race, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu summarized Bearman’s weekend: “Not perfect, but pretty impressive.” The rookie had not only earned points on track but made an even bigger impact off it. His quick learning, approachable attitude, and professionalism have already made him a valued member of the Haas team. As one insider put it, Bearman feels like “one of us already.”