Bearman's even younger Prema team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been all the rage recently as Mercedes ponders its driver options for 2025, but Bearman is equally seen as a superstar of the future.
Following success in karting and Formula 4, the Chelmsford native was invited to the Ferrari Driver Academy Scouting World Finals in 2021, where he impressed Ferrari enough to earn a spot in its academy. Bearman is also a two-time Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award finalist.
That did wonders for his fledgling career, as Ferrari placed him in F3 in 2022 with superteam Prema, taking a solitary win on his way to third in the championship.
Ferrari and Prema moved him up to F2 the following year, with Bearman finishing sixth after taking four wins, including an acclaimed feature and sprint race double in Baku.
More: How Bearman’s Baku double stacks up in historic junior single-seater feats
To underline Ferrari's belief in Bearman as a star of the future, the Scuderia also started drip feeding him with opportunities to drive an F1 car.
An initial Fiorano test with its 2021 car gave Bearman the required mileage for an FP1 superlicence, which he then put to good use at Ferrari customer team Haas.
His official grand prix weekend debut followed in Mexico, where he impressed Ferrari and Haas alike with his composed performance that belied his tender age, three tenths off regular driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Source: Autosport