Teen rookie Bearman aims to progress under the radar

Oliver Bearman raced for Ferrari in Formula One in 2024, has gone on training rides with cycling great Tadej Pogacar and this weekend starts his first full season against the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

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MELBOURNE -

Still only 19, and a Monaco resident like many of his F1 rivals, the Briton says he wants to make the most of "normal" life while he can.

That will not be easy for the tall Haas driver, who as a stand-in a year ago in Saudi Arabia became Ferrari's youngest rookie and who now boasts 2.4 million followers on Instagram.

He has been spoken of already as a potential replacement at Ferrari for seven-time world champion Hamilton, the sport's most successful driver, when the 40-year-old eventually retires.

A recent full-time move to Monaco, which brings obvious tax advantages that Bearman is open about but is also a logical step for someone who has not lived in England for years, could provide some shade from the F1 limelight.