Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell... and now Oliver Bearman.

One-fifth of the drivers on the Formula 1 grid will be flying the Union Flag next year with Bearman all-but confirmed as being on the 2025 grid. The 19-year-old Ferrari junior is expected to be announced as a Haas driver for the 2025 season.

For many weeks now it has been the expected outcome. Bearman shined in his surprise F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, when he filled in for the ill Carlos Sainz and finished seventh in a Ferrari.

Haas have a technical partnership with the Italians and have been working closely with Bearman for some time. He drove in two practice sessions for the American team last year and is set for another half-a-dozen such appearances this term - the first was at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last month.

Now, the Daily Mail reports Bearman's place on the 2025 grid is all-but officially confirmed. Their report claims the teenager will be handed a contract worth a relatively modest £300,000 in his first year, but can double that salary in his second term if he retains that seat.

Bearman will add to an already strong British presence on the F1 grid. Hamilton is a seven-time champion while both Norris and Russell are now race-winners. Alex Albon races under the Thai flag but was born in London and grew up in Suffolk.

Speaking to Mirror Sport at Imola last month, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu explained why he and his colleagues rate Bearman so highly. The Japanese boss said: "He's done very well so far. What makes him special is that, clearly, he's got speed, but it's his understanding of the context.

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"As a young driver, it's not easy to have that perspective and the maturity to understand how he needs to approach the tasks he has to do. The maturity is really great and, in terms of his physical ability, of course he's got it.

"He's fast, but also able to think calmly after a lap or two laps about what he's done. He's a pleasure to work with. It's about the overall package. You need to have the speed, to be have the adaptability, and you need to work and communicate with engineers, which sounds simple but some drivers really cannot work with engineers properly."

And, speaking on the same day, Bearman showed he has confidence in his ability to succeed at the top level. He told reporters: "I've never doubted my ability - since the start I always knew I was good enough to fight. "Whenever I jumped into a new category I was competitive straight away, so that’s never been in doubt for me. I have a lot of confidence in my ability."