Berman: After all, a newcomer shouldn't skip training.

      Oliver Bearman regrets that, under Formula 1 sporting regulations, he had to miss the first Friday practice in Mexico because his car was driven by Rio Hirakawa, Haas F1’s Japanese reserve driver.

      The rules in force in 2025 stipulate that all teams must provide their cars to rookies at least twice per season — rookies being drivers who have contested no more than two Grands Prix in the World Championship.

      Although Bearman himself could also be considered a rookie, since this is his first full season in Formula 1, he does not formally fall into that category. The British Ferrari Driver Academy graduate made his debut last year when he took part in three Grands Prix for Scuderia Ferrari and Haas: in Jeddah he drove Carlos Sainz’s car when Sainz was ill, and in Baku and São Paulo he stood in for Kevin Magnussen.

      "Mexico is a tricky circuit, and I probably underestimated how important it is to do even the first practice session," Motorsport Week quotes Oliver as saying. "In general, I’ll say again: it’s not easy for me. It’s my debut season, and yet I am forced to miss practice. In my position I should have the opportunity to work on track, including in the very first session of these weekends, but I have to give up my seat — that’s a fact.

      Wherever it happens, it makes a difference. If I had the chance to do the season from the very start, I would prefer to miss practice at tracks I’m more familiar with, for example Abu Dhabi. After all, I’m still a rookie, it’s my first full season. I don’t think I should ever be in a situation where I have to miss practice."

      Although the 20-year-old Briton bemoans his fate, on Saturday that did not prevent him from beating his experienced teammate Esteban Ocon in qualifying for the sixth consecutive time.

      "All things considered, I’m glad I made it to the final," added Bearman, who set the tenth fastest time but will start ninth due to Carlos Sainz’s penalty. "On Friday I had a few issues; I couldn’t extract the maximum from the car in my only free practice session, and on Saturday I couldn’t get the soft tyres to work effectively, so I didn’t really get a feel for their behaviour.

      Overall, many questions remained unanswered before qualifying, and we are still not quick enough. To be honest, after the lap I did in the final session, it felt like that was the maximum the car could do. So my impressions were mixed.

      But still, we made it to the qualifying final for the third time in a row — it’s also important that the VF-25 has become faster thanks to the technical upgrades, because that is exactly what we are aiming for."