Oliver Bearman knows exactly what awaits a rookie stepping into Formula 1 – and he’s not sugar-coating it.
With the 2026 grid set to feature just one newcomer, the Haas driver has delivered a candid warning to Racing Bulls’ teenage recruit Arvid Lindblad: talent alone won’t make the landing soft.
Lindblad’s arrival comes at a moment of upheaval, with sweeping new power unit and chassis regulations reshaping the sport. And while Bearman is convinced the 17-year-old belongs in F1, he believes the circumstances will make for a bruising first chapter.
Talent Isn’t the Question
Bearman was part of a rare rookie-heavy intake in 2025, joining Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar and Jack Doohan on a grid suddenly flooded with fresh faces. That shared baptism, he suggests, mattered more than people realise.
“It will definitely be challenging, but I believe he’s a really talented driver,” Bearman told the media in Abu Dhabi at F1’s season finale.
“I was in F2 in Prema when he was in F3 and he was doing a very good job all year, and he’s had a great season in F2 now.
“I know he has what it takes to race in F1, there’s no doubt about that, but it will be a tough introduction.”
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Unlike Bearman and his fellow rookies, Lindblad won’t have peers on the grid learning the ropes alongside him. He’ll be the lone newcomer – and that isolation, Bearman hints, can amplify the pressure.
Alone in a New Era
There is, however, one potential saving grace: the sport’s regulation reset. With everyone grappling with unfamiliar machinery in 2026, even veterans will be back in learning mode.
“But I think, if anything, the new regs are a bit of a leveller for everyone anyways, because there are so many things to learn for all of us.”
Bearman contrasted that with his own entry point into F1, where rookies were dropped into a deeply established rule set.
“You know, for us rookies coming in this year, we were coming into a regulation cycle which was very mature and that all of the drivers had had a lot of experience with, and we were just starting out with it,” he explained.
“So, there are pros and cons to joining in every era of Formula 1.”
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Lindblad reflects on Marko’s faith: ‘He believed in me’Still, Bearman suspects Lindblad would rather not be doing it alone.
“I’m sure he would prefer to be on the grid with other rookies, but I’m sure he would prefer to be the only rookie than not be in F1, so that’s just how it is,” he concluded.
Lindblad will line up alongside Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar steps up to Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen.
Bearman’s verdict is clear: Lindblad has the tools, but the environment will be unforgiving. In Formula 1, the deep end never gets shallower – it only gets colder.
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