Ollie Bearman fumes over rookie FP1 rule as Haas rookie chases points in Mexico stretch

Ollie (Oliver) Bearman arrived in Mexico City with momentum and left the paddock grumbling about the rulebook. Hours before cars rolled for the opening session, the Haas rookie learned he would sit out FP1 to satisfy Formula 1’s “rookie running” requirement—an irony not lost on a 19-year-old who already races every Sunday. The regulation forces each team to dedicate two FP1 sessions per season to a driver with minimal Grand Prix experience; because Bearman has now exceeded that threshold as a full-time racer, Haas had to place a junior in his car, costing him valuable prep time at a track where laps are gold in thin air.

Why Bearman is frustrated — and why the rule tripped him

The intent of the FP1 mandate is sound: give emerging talent real mileage. But in Bearman’s case it backfires. As a first-year race driver, he benefits more from every practice lap than almost anyone on the grid—yet the letter of the rule removes him from the cockpit. He made the point bluntly in the pen: if the goal is development, taking reps away from the very rookie who’s learning on the job makes little sense.

There’s a practical cost, too. Mexico’s high altitude warps cooling and drag, forcing teams to re-balance brake ducts, wings and engine temps in real time. Losing 60 minutes of running leaves Bearman and his engineers compressing setup decisions into FP2, often on a hotter, less representative track. That’s not academic; it shapes tire life on Sunday and confidence on the brakes into the stadium section.

The form line: from Singapore points to a knife-edge autumn

Even with the occasional procedural gut punch, Bearman’s rookie arc is pointing up. His points haul under the lights in Singapore showcased the racecraft that earned him the seat: tidy management in traffic, clean out-laps, and mistakes avoided when others blinked. Since then, his weekends have featured the familiar rookie trade-offs—peaks of pace, a few scruffy moments, and the steady accumulation of race-weekend craft.

Two themes stand out:

• Starts and restarts: He’s consistently alert, often gaining or at least holding position into Turn 1—vital for a Haas that does its best work in clear air.

• Tyre empathy: Long-run discipline has improved; fewer rear slides translate to more late-stint bite, especially on mediums.

Mexico setup puzzle without FP1 laps

The Haas playbook at altitude typically begins with bigger cooling, modest wing to claw back downforce, and brake tuning to avoid early glazing. Without FP1, Bearman’s path narrows:

• Aero baseline from the other garage, then small-step tweaks in FP2 to chase rotation without spiking rear temps.

• Brake-by-wire fine-tuning over race sims rather than relaxed FP1 explorers—risky but necessary for confidence into Turns 1–3.

• Quali trim compromises: Mexico rewards top speed on the long run to Turn 1, but sector two punishes low-downforce greed. Finding that knife edge in one session is the rookie exam.

Rivalries and racecraft: the Tsunoda flashpoint

Recent days also carried a bit of needle. Bearman bristled at a close-quarters moment with a midfield rival in Austin, calling the maneuver “very dangerous.” It’s a footnote in the results, but it highlights a reality of Year 1: rookies live in the elbows-out zone where veterans test boundaries. Thus far, Bearman has responded with a measured radio and cleaner execution the next time the scenario appears—a healthy sign for the long season ahead.

Bigger picture: Haas gains and the 2026 horizon

Haas’ update cycle has quietly added usable downforce without wrecking the car’s straight-line friendliness. Feedback from both sides of the garage points to a more predictable rear—a gift for a rookie learning brake release timing and throttle application at the limit. If reliability holds and pit stops remain tidy, the team’s autumn target is simple: opportunistic Q2 appearances that convert into points on attritional Sundays.

For Bearman, the medium-term view is bright. He already owns the key rookie ingredients—sharp inputs, calm in traffic, and a willingness to learn out loud. Layer in a winter of correlation work and the typical second-season leap, and the ceiling rises quickly.

What to watch the rest of the Mexico weekend

• FP2 workload spike: Expect longer runs early and a late qualy sim—he has to cram two sessions into one.

• Top-speed trade: If Haas trims wing to protect the launch to Turn 1, watch sector-two stability; if they go stickier, overtakes will demand creative deployment.

• Race craft at altitude: Lifting and coasting for temps is common here; rookies who manage it smoothly protect brakes and tyres for the closing stint.

The takeaway on Oliver “Ollie” Bearman

The kid is doing the hardest thing in motorsport—learning at 200 mph with the world watching—while a quirk of the regulations occasionally takes the wheel away. His reaction this weekend wasn’t petulance; it was the competitive logic of a driver who knows every lap compounds. If the trajectory from late summer holds, the combination of cleaner Saturdays and savvy Sundays will keep Bearman—and Haas—sniffing points as the calendar winds down.