Bearman not yet ready for a Ferrari seat

Oct 30, 2025 | Formula 1

Bearman shows speed, but still lacks consistency

Ollie Bearman impressed in Mexico. He competed smoothly with experienced F1 drivers and performed strongly. That reinforces the idea that he could one day drive for Ferrari. But that is not yet certain.

Ferrari has high demands. The Scuderia is not looking for just any young driver. It wants someone with the potential to become a world champion. So Bearman is not compared to middle-of-the-range drivers, but to leaders like Charles Leclerc.

Where things are going well

Bearman has a lot of speed. He is often faster than teammate Esteban Ocon. He is comfortable in fast, unstable situations. He dares to brake late and steer sharply. That suits today's ground-effect cars well.

There are several strong races. In Saudi Arabia last year, he drove in place of an absent Ferrari driver to an excellent seventh place without Friday practice. That showed Ferrari has a lot of confidence in him. In China, Japan and Singapore, he also showed good performances. In Mexico, he had a particularly strong weekend.

Improving trend

Since the summer break, his form has increased. In the six races after August, he scored points in four races. With that, he forces himself up as a serious contender for the title of best rookie.

Where he has yet to learn

The biggest sticking point is consistency. Bearman often peaks, but may lack the uniformity that top teams expect. This season, he made several mistakes and sometimes got embroiled in incidents he could have potentially avoided.

• Ten races without points, despite some sprint races with points.
• Ten places grid penalty in Britain after collision at pit entry under red flag.
• Crashes in Australia during FP1 and FP3.
• Penalty in Monaco for overtaking shortly after a red flag.
• Fractures and damage caused by too-wide turns in Hungary.
• Collisions with Yuki Tsunoda in Austin and Carlos Sainz in Monza.
• Track limits penalty during sprint in the US.
• Dazzling speed but bad luck in Belgium due to engine problems.
• Fast at Imola, but hit by bad luck in qualifying and an incorrectly attached wheel during the race.
• Crash in Q2 in Azerbaijan while he was fast.

There were also races like Bahrain, Miami, Canada and Austria in which he did not always make the most of them at the right moments. In Spain, he got a penalty for taking advantage by going off track.

What Ferrari is looking for

Ferrari doesn't just want speed. They also look at technical understanding, hard work ethic and the ability to improve a weekend along the way. What is important is that a driver is fast without constantly exceeding the limit. On that front, Bearman still needs to make strides.

The timing and the path to Maranello

A free spot at Ferrari will not become available soon. The earliest opportunity is not until 2027, and that depends on major changes at other top drivers. So Bearman has time. He now drives at Haas, a team where he can show his development without the immediate pressure of Ferrari.

The next few seasons are crucial. If he limits his mistakes and maintains his positive line, he will be high on the list at Ferrari as soon as a spot becomes available. Haas offers him the ideal stage for that.

Conclusion: promising, but no certainty yet

Bearman has laid the groundwork. He is fast and shows mental toughness. Yet he has yet to prove he can perform at top level on a weekly basis. That is exactly what Ferrari demands.

He is not ready yet, but he is building a convincing record. If he improves his consistency, he could become the best candidate within one to two years when Ferrari has to make a choice.

FIA declares two controversial moments during Mexico GP

Oct 30, 2025 | Formula 1

Summary

The FIA has explained two notable moments during the Mexico City Grand Prix. Both situations caused much discussion. One involved a dangerous situation with marshal(s) early in the race. The other was about a late deployment of the virtual safety car (VSC) just before the end.

Near collision with marshals

Early in the race, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson almost ran into two marshals. That happened on the third lap, between turns 1 and 2. Lawson had just left the pits and was taken totally by surprise at that moment. He reacted very strongly and called the situation unacceptable.

According to the FIA, marshals were on hand to remove broken parts from the track after an incident at Turn 1. After it became clear that Lawson had pitched, instructions to enter the track were withdrawn. A double yellow flag was then displayed at that spot.

The FIA says it is still investigating why two marshals were on the track anyway. At the same time, it expressed appreciation for the efforts of local, volunteer marshals. The FIA calls their work professional and indispensable for safe races.

The late VSC for Carlos Sainz

On the penultimate lap, Carlos Sainz went off the track in the stadium section. He tried to drive his Williams out of the way and stopped at an opening in the crash barriers. At first glance, he appeared to be out of the danger zone.

Still, the FIA sounded the alarm. Sainz's car started smoking and reports of fire came in to racecontrol. As a result, marshal intervention was needed to salvage the car. This is standard procedure. From a safety point of view, the race was therefore normalised with a virtual safety car until the car was in a protected position behind the barriers.

The VSC ended immediately after the car was safely moved. The race finished under a green flag. The decision resulted in Max Verstappen not getting a last chance to pass Charles Leclerc on the straight. Verstappen reacted soberly to it, saying such decisions are part of racing.

Key points in a row

• Marshals stood by to remove debris; instruction later withdrawn.
• FIA investigating why two marshals appeared on the track anyway.
• Sainz's car became damaged and started smoking; reports of possible fire followed.
• VSC was deployed until the car was behind the barriers and the situation was safe.
• The FIA praised the professionalism and commitment of volunteer marshals.

Concluding remark

Both incidents highlight the tension between speed and safety in F1. The FIA is sticking to protocols. At the same time, an investigation into what exactly went wrong in the marshal action is ongoing. The outcome may have implications for future proceedings.

Villars sues FIA and gets emergency hearing in Paris

Oct 29, 2025 | Formula 1

Emergency hearing after complaint over electoral rules

Laura Villars has won emergency proceedings at the Paris Court. The judge allowed her to take the FIA to an emergency court. The hearing is scheduled for 10 November at 9.30 am in Paris. Both parties have been invited.

What is it about?

Villars was one of the three candidates seeking to run against the incumbent president. Election rules require each candidate to put together a ‘presidential list’ of 10 people from different regions. That requirement proved decisive.

It follows from the rules that there is only one suitable representative for South America. However, she has already announced her support for the incumbent president. As a result, the other candidates could not complete their lists before the 24 October deadline.

Implications for the election

That situation threatens to leave only one valid candidate standing in December. One of the opposing candidates, Tim Mayer, previously acknowledged that his chances were lost. He openly criticised the process and chose to file official complaints within the FIA but not to go to court.

Why Villars went to court

Villars says she first tried to have a constructive conversation with the FIA. She feels she did not get satisfactory, concrete answers. Therefore, she now wants the matter legally reviewed. She stresses that her concern is the protection of the organisation and the importance of internal democracy and transparency.

Her lawyer said the authorisation for the emergency injunction shows that the court is taking the alleged deficiencies seriously. According to him, multiple violations of statutes and rules are at issue.

FIA response

The FIA informs that it cannot comment on the substance of the legal action due to the nature of the procedure. The organisation did publish a statement on the election process. It states that the rules and deadlines are set out in the statutes and internal regulations and that this information has been made publicly available to members since 13 June 2025.

The FIA stresses that the requirements for regional representation and selection from the World Council are not new and also applied to previous elections.

Key facts at a glance

• Emergency session in Paris: 10 November, 9.30am.
• Deadline presidential lists: 24 October.
• Problem: only one suitable candidate from South America, supporting the incumbent president.
• Result: only the incumbent president seems to remain as a valid candidate in December.

Now what?

The case goes to court on 10 November. Villars says she faces the hearing with calmness, openness and determination. She hopes for a sincere conversation that leads to fairer and more modern rules and more connection with members.

The presidential list of the only remaining authorised candidate is expected to be made public soon.

Why did Piastri suddenly lose his F1 lead?

Oct 29, 2025 | Formula 1

What happened to Piastri?

Oscar Piastri saw his comfortable lead turn to a deficit in a few races. In the first 16 races of 2025, he achieved 14 podiums. This was followed by four races without a top-3. A 34-point lead after the Dutch GP disappeared in five races.

The crash in Azerbaijan did not help. But in Austin and Mexico, Piastri was simply too slow. It happened suddenly and sharply. This created a lot of question marks.

Is McLaren biased towards Norris?

Accusations quickly circulated on social media that McLaren would favour Norris. That theory is unlikely. McLaren has no interest in deliberately disadvantaging a driving championship contender.

If the team wants to help one driver above the rest, that choice should also benefit from the points battle with Verstappen. Putting Piastri so far back that he even falls behind Verstappen has no logic there.

The real cause: driving style and conditions

McLaren and Piastri himself point to something else. The combination of lots of sliding and little grip in Austin and Mexico requires a different way of driving than at many other tracks this season.

According to the team, that way of driving suits Lando Norris more naturally. He steers with a lot of feeling. He combines steering movements and throttle very precisely. This allows him to dance through a corner with small glides and load the car at the front.

Piastri drives differently. He brakes later and turns the wheel earlier. This works very well at high grip and high speed. But at low grip or when the car starts to slide in a certain way, he loses confidence. His effort on corner entry becomes more cautious. That was visible in qualifying in Mexico.

How Piastri tried to solve it

In Mexico, Piastri said he “had to change some things quite a bit in how I drive”. He did not describe it as a totally different driving style. He talked about adding extra tools to his arsenal.

He experimented during the race. Some of that went well. But many of the losses were small and spread over each sector. Added up, those small differences added up quickly. As a result, even his usual strengths were less.

Key factors

• Track type: lots of sliding and low grip in Austin and Mexico.
• Driving styles: Norris benefits from sensitive steering/gas points; Piastri is stronger with lots of grip.
• Superficial adjustments: Piastri tried to change, but found it difficult to make this work quickly.
• Incidents: the crash in Azerbaijan undermined his condition and rhythm.

What does this mean for the championship?

Piastri shows willingness to learn. That is positive. He acknowledges that the last few weekends required a different approach. He does not want to change rigidly for normal circumstances.

If Brazil and other tracks better suit his natural style again, he should soon return to the level of most of his races this year. If the dip continues, his title fight will fall apart completely. That will then raise new questions about the cause.

For now, the explanation seems technical and stylistic rather than deliberate sabotage. Piastri has work to do. But he also has the right attitude to take advantage of it.