F2

It’s official. Ferrari Academy driver Ollie Bearman will move to FIA Formula 2 in the 2023 racing season.

After a show-stopping 2022 rookie season in Formula 3, which featured an impressive 8 podiums, Ollie finished the 2022 season in third place, with just seven points dividing the top three drivers.

Ollie’s maiden win in Spa-Francorchamps helped Prema to take the lead in the Team championship battle - with Prema finishing the season a stunning 54 points clear of any competition.

Team Principal René Rosin said in a statement how impressed the team had been with Ollie’s continued hard work and dedication to driving. Acknowledging the considerable step forward, Rosin is confident in Ollie’s potential for the season ahead. He said,

“We were amazed by how quickly and successfully Ollie transitioned from F4 to Formula 3 racing. He is a really talented driver, and while he will be making his first steps in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, we are confident he will improve race by race with the support of our team and the Ferrari Driver Academy.”

Getting his first flavour of F2 in the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi towards the end of last year, Ollie expressed excitement at spending another year with the Prema family. He said,

“I’m really happy with how my first season went in F3. It was a nice introduction and I felt like the team coached me well throughout the year.”

With a long winter of hard work behind him and the new season just around the corner, 17 year old Ollie is determined to make his mark in Formula 2 in 2023. Already equipped with an impressive CV, it’s hard to believe that this season will be only his fourth season in single-seater motor racing. Even before driving in Formula 3, Ollie had built a solid reputation for himself. Racing into the record books, Ollie was the first driver to win two successive Formula 4 titles in the same season - taking the ADAC and Italian F4 titles in 2021.

Looking to the future, we are optimistic about Ollie’s continued success. Aventum Group said in a statement; “As a newly established brand in the (re)insurance market, Aventum has benefited from enhanced global exposure thanks to our association with Ollie. It has been an amazing journey with him, from a record breaking F4 season to a superb maiden F3 season and now F2.”

The FIA Formula 2 calendar comprises 14 rounds in 2023, including a race on the streets of Melbourne for the first time in F2. The season gets underway at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 March 2023.