Not every day brings a surprise as delightful as the one Oliver Bearman experienced at Suzuka. It was Saturday, qualifying was moving fast, and the predictions weren’t exactly optimistic. In the simulators, in the telemetry analysis, and even in Bearman’s own mind, just reaching Q2 already felt like a win. But fate — and a bit of digital ingenuity — had other plans.
From the first free practice sessions, Bearman wasn’t just learning every curve of the legendary Japanese track — he was also carrying an image in his head: the perfect racing line from the iRacing simulator. Hugging the wall at the end of the lap? Of course. Taking every last inch of kerb at the chicane? Absolutely. It was a move with a gamer’s touch, but very real consequences.
“I saw it in iRacing — that line by the wall is faster,” he said, almost with a grin, like someone sharing a well-kept secret.
While other drivers were leaving a safe margin, Bearman pushed the limits, lap after lap, gaining hundredths that eventually snuck him — almost miraculously — into Q3. Not everything went perfectly: on his final attempt, a bit too much confidence caught up with him. He went too far over the kerb, the car twitched, and he clipped the wall just before crossing the line.
But there was no drama. Just pure emotion.
“I was so happy just to be in Q2, so when I saw I made it to Q3, I couldn’t believe it,” he confessed.
And while his teammate Ocon was eliminated in Q1, Bearman, debuting at Suzuka, made personal history with a temporary eighth place that landed him among the top ten.
https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1909273770709139888
What many saw as a lucky break, he lived as validation of his instinct. Sometimes, what you learn in a simulator can make all the difference. Bearman showed not just skill, but also an unconventional vision that lifted him from the back of the pack into the spotlight. In a world of cold strategies and microscopic data, sometimes all it takes is an imaginary line — and the guts to follow it.
- Remember, you can join iRacing clicking here.
F1 drivers simulators:
- Lando Norris
- Charles Leclerc
- George Rusell
- Carlos Sainz
- Checo Perez
- Fernando Alonso
- Antonio Giovinazzi
- Max Verstappen
- Oscar Piastri
- Liam Lawson
See you on the track!
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