Oliver Bearman failed his driving test at the first attempt (Image: Getty)
have signed for the 2025 season as they look to climb higher up the midfield, but their latest recruit has experienced some struggles driving at slower speeds in his past.
Bearman explained ahead of the F1 75 Live event in London that he actually failed his driving test when he tried to pass as a 17-year-old. After taking some lessons, he fortunately passed on his second attempt.
“Luckily, I passed a few years ago since you can pass it at 17 here rather than 18 like in Italy,” the Haas star explained. “But I did pass [the] second time.” He added with a knowing smile: “I shouldn’t have told you that.”
When asked how he failed his first test, he revealed: “I didn’t stop at a stop sign. But I didn’t burn [through] it. I slowed down. I was crawling. But you’re meant to stop. We don’t have those on race tracks so that was my first sighting of a stop sign.
“But typical me, or typical probable racing driver, I thought I could pass my test without any lessons. So that’s probably where I went wrong. So I took a few lessons before the second one. But yes, I’ve been driving since 2022 now, so very experienced driver here.”
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Kimi Antonelli passed his driving test the first time around (Image: Getty)
While Bearman was only able to pass his driving test on the second attempt, one of his fellow rookies went a step better. ’ new recruit Kimi Antonelli obtained his driving license during the off-season ahead of his F1 debut.
“I was really nervous, first of all,” he admitted to . “That week was like hell because I was really studying and practising because I knew I only had that shot. The preparations start, and then the season starts, and I had no time to do the driving test again. So I was super happy to have passed straight away.”
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Antonelli’s attention has now turned to his rookie F1 campaign. The Italian teenager has been handed the unenviable task of filling ’s boots at , stepping in alongside new team leader to form their 2025 driver line-up.
The 18-year-old will at least have the advice of both Russell and returning test and reserve driver Valtteri Bottas to aid him as he adapts to life in F1. The former Sauber man was drafted back into the team over the winter after losing his seat at the end of the 2024 campaign.