Formula 1 rookies Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman embody the sport`s emerging generation. They are seen as energetic, dedicated, and living their dream in the fast-paced world of F1.
Eighteen-year-old Antonelli has so far appeared unfazed by the challenge of stepping into the role previously held by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Meanwhile, Ferrari junior Bearman, 19, who is considered a strong long-term candidate to potentially join the Italian team in the future, has already shown his capability by consistently scoring points for the Haas team.
The pair were teammates at Prema in Formula 2 last season, and their bond extends back to their first junior races together in 2021. Despite now competing on the elite and highly competitive F1 grid, the strength of their friendship remains evident.
A joint interview with ESPN in Bahrain, facilitated by Mercedes and Haas, felt more like observing a casual chat between friends still processing the incredible reality of their careers unfolding before them. In a paddock increasingly focused on generational shifts, Antonelli and Bearman aren`t merely participants in this new era; they are defining it. Their energetic personalities and charm are already helping them build significant fanbases. Antonelli is even managing to complete his final school exams alongside his rookie F1 commitments. While drivers like Fernando Alonso represent a previous, remarkably enduring era now in his 22nd season, Antonelli and Bearman clearly represent the vibrant, exciting future of the sport.
“When he started, I wasn`t even a thought in my parents` minds!” Antonelli joked, referring to Alonso`s debut in 2001. Bearman added, shaking his head, “It`s surreal… I think Alonso was racing in Formula 1 before my parents even met, which is unbelievable.”
Antonelli, showing his playful side, grinned and said, “He`ll always be a rookie.” This is a playful nod to the popular online joke suggesting that Alonso, despite his two world championships and over two decades of experience, somehow manages to repeatedly present himself as F1`s eternal newcomer. It`s a running gag that Antonelli, Bearman, and fellow rookies Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto playfully riffed on in a widely shared preseason video.
Alonso is, of course, far from being a rookie. By the time Bearman and Antonelli were born, Alonso was a leading figure and championship contender in Formula 1. The Spanish driver was leading the championship standings when Bearman was born on May 8, 2005, and again when Antonelli was born on August 25, 2006.
Bearman adopted a more serious tone, reflecting, “Sharing the track with him, and with Lewis [Hamilton], for instance, is truly remarkable. These drivers have been competing for such a long time and possess immense experience. You grow up watching them on television. Lewis was dominant when we were kids, and now we are racing directly against him.”
Fan Favorites in Waiting
Bearman`s Formula 1 debut occurred under extraordinary circumstances when he substituted for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari during last year`s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, following Sainz`s appendicitis.
At the age of 18, he became the youngest driver ever to race for Ferrari and the third youngest driver to start an F1 race in history. Notably, the Englishman was the first driver to compete in a Formula 1 race who was born after Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher secured his seventh world championship title. That debut race served as a significant coming-of-age moment for Bearman.
“There are so many new fans,” Antonelli observed, turning to Bearman. “I mean, this guy, when he drove in Saudi last year… I think it was insane, right?”
Bearman agreed, nodding. “My social media following doubled overnight. It was crazy.”
Where possible, both drivers have made an effort to keep their social media presence authentic and personal.
“It`s a mix, 50-50,” Antonelli said when asked about who handles his social accounts. “I enjoy doing the silly posts, you know.”
The influence of the growing fanbase was evident in the early races this year. At the second race of the season in China, Antonelli was voted Driver of the Day by the F1 viewing audience after finishing sixth. Antonelli`s spontaneous reaction to receiving the award immediately after the race quickly became a viral moment.
When informed by Peter Bonnington, Antonelli`s race engineer, the young Italian responded, “Seriously? That`s… strange.” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff himself radioed Antonelli, commenting, “I think it`s your appearance. And your demographic.”
When the topic of the award came up during the interview, he chuckled and looked at Bearman.
“I was so annoyed about that,” Bearman laughed in reply.
“I thought of you when I got it,” Antonelli smiled back. “But I actually expected to receive it in Australia [the first race].”
Bearman, who had finished eighth in Shanghai driving for the less competitive Haas team, quipped back, “I felt like, `This guy is stealing my Driver of the Day!`”
Bearman can likely feel optimistic on that front. Given the promising start both drivers have made to their F1 careers, there will likely be numerous future opportunities for them to contend for the fan-voted award against each other. Following a qualifying crash that impacted his Haas debut in Australia, Bearman has performed remarkably well, adding two more points finishes in Japan and Bahrain to his strong result in Shanghai for the improving American team.
Regarding Antonelli, while he hasn`t yet matched the performance level of his experienced teammate George Russell, there is a palpable buzz of excitement surrounding him throughout the paddock. Lewis Hamilton, whom Antonelli replaced at Mercedes, has spoken highly of the young Italian whenever given the chance. Those who have observed Antonelli on track or watched his onboard camera footage often share the same observation: his driving style is one of the most thrilling things in F1 currently; he drives with an audacious, attacking approach. Combined with his infectious personality, it`s easy to understand why he is already attracting a significant following.
“The fans are incredibly important for the sport and for the drivers,” Antonelli stated. “They are the ones who truly make the race weekend special.”
At that point, Bearman added playfully, “Just support us.”
Continuing their characteristic back-and-forth, Antonelli laughed and extended the joke.
“Yes, just support us,” the Italian echoed. “Not anyone else. Hashtag `Only Support Kimi and Ollie!`”
Formula 1 fans currently have plenty of reasons to attend races. The sport`s popularity has surged dramatically in recent years, significantly boosted by the successful Netflix series `Drive to Survive.` Both drivers have witnessed firsthand the scale of this growing following, having transitioned from competing in Formula 2 support races to participating in the main F1 events.
“When we were on the F2 grid, it was primarily the diehard fans,” Bearman recalled. “But now the grid is absolutely packed.”
“It`s very loud,” Antonelli interjected, referencing the loud music played before a Grand Prix.
“Yes, it`s quite loud,” Bearman agreed. “You can hear it even when the car is starting. It`s so loud. The bass… I think it makes the track vibrate. I suspect in a few races` time, we might start finding it a bit annoying!”
Students of the Game
Remarkably, Antonelli is balancing his rookie Formula 1 season with completing his final year of school in Italy. “My mum is insistent,” he mentioned, referring to her push for him to finish his studies this year. Antonelli attends a technical institute in Bologna.
When asked if he brings schoolwork to the track, Antonelli laughed again. “I try to bring some. For example, math… I give all my homework to the engineers because they are good with numbers.”
Antonelli is being modest about his own numerical abilities. Another notable characteristic of the Italian is his exceptional photographic memory. Last year, his Prema F2 team shared a video demonstrating his ability to recall random qualifying lap times (precise down to the thousandth of a second) from various points in his racing career. Discussing the Suzuka qualifying session the week prior, he recalled it perfectly. “I`m quite particular about this.” As if to further prove the point, he corrected Bearman when the Englishman mentioned his own qualifying effort from Japan the week before this interview.
“I remember Suzuka was one minute… wait… 29.7?” Bearman hesitated, trying to recall his final lap time.
“No, mate!” Antonelli quickly corrected. “You did a 1:27.8.”
“Really?” Bearman laughed in surprise. “Quicker than I thought. See? I forgot the lap time from last week. He can remember lap times from karting.”
Antonelli shrugged off the mention of his remarkable recall ability. “I don`t know. It`s just… I think it`s because I`m quite fixated on lap times. They just seem to stick in my head.”
When it was then suggested that he didn`t actually need to give his homework to his engineers, Antonelli chuckled again. “Okay, let`s swap roles. I`ll put Bono [his engineer] in the car, and I`ll do the engineering. I don`t think that would go well. I`d probably make some terrible setup choices.”
As their friendship has grown in recent years, Antonelli has taken on the role of tutor, assisting Bearman with learning Italian. There`s one particular phrase Antonelli enjoyed teaching his English friend.
“`Sei alla frutta,`” Antonelli said. “It`s nothing offensive. It basically means you`re completely finished, done. Like if you`re really tired or perhaps drunk and can`t think or speak properly, you`d say, `Sei alla frutta.`”
As the interview concluded, the pair joked about how Antonelli`s new phrase might feature in his F1 career, referencing predecessor Lewis Hamilton`s well-known radio call at Mercedes: “Bono, my tires are gone.”
“Mine could be… my tires alla frutta,” Antonelli laughed in response.
“That could be the new catchphrase,” Bearman suggested, before referencing Bonnington`s famous instruction during Hamilton`s championship years. “I need to hear a version of `Hammer Time.`”
Bearman`s suggestion, based on the three-letter driver abbreviations shown on timing screens, was admittedly less catchy, but it made both drivers laugh again as the interview wrapped up. “It`s ANT time!”
Five races into their first full Formula 1 seasons, it might not be exclusively Antonelli Time or Bearman Time just yet. However, judging by the speed at which they`ve adjusted to competing alongside the grid`s seasoned professionals, it seems likely that their time is rapidly approaching.
