Damon Hill sends advice to young British F1 driver on apologising for one-word bad radio message

Haas F1 team driver Oliver Bearman admitted that he felt embarrassed over his radio message at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. Bearman overtook a Red Bull and Alpine car and said 'Ciao' (hello in English) on the radio, but Damon Hill advised him to not apologize and be himself.

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix was a terrific weekend for Haas as both their drivers finished in the top 10 to grab crucial points. Esteban Ocon finished P7 but moved up two places to rank P5 after disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

On the other hand, rookie Oliver Bearman crossed the checkered flag at P10 and was later moved to P8 as Haas gained 14 points combined from the weekend.

Meanwhile, Bearman made headlines over his sassy radio messages. He overtook a Red Bull and Alpine car and said 'Ciao' on the radio. During the post-race interview, however, Bearman was embarrassed over his actions and said:

“I feel really bad now. I overtook someone, and I said, "Ciao.'"

However, former F1 legend Damon Hill had strong advice for the rookie. He stated that Oliver Bearman shouldn't feel bad about himself and must continue to speak his mind.

"You're NOT bad. Say what you like!" Hill said through his Instagram story.

Damon Hill's story for Oliver Bearman [Source: @96f1champ/Instagram]

Haas has had a good start to the 2025 season and is currently placed sixth in the Constructors' championship with 14 points. Oliver Bearman had a rough start, though, after he crashed twice in Australia.

However, in China, he showed promise by grabbing points for his team. Esteban Ocon, on the other hand, has also been a great asset for Haas after he joined the team this year after ending a five-year stint with Alpine.

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Oliver Bearman 'happy' with unexpected results at the F1 Chinese GP

F1 Grand Prix Of China - Sprint & Qualifying - Source: Getty

Haas F1 team scored 14 points in the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix as both drivers Esteban Ocon (P5) and Oliver Bearman (P8) finished the race in top 10. Bearman, meanwhile, scored his first points for Haas this year and was happy with the unexpected result.

Talking to Motorsport.com, he said:

“It’s been a really good day; I’m super happy with the result—I didn’t expect points today. Everything I was doing with the car worked, and that’s a nice feeling to just have the groove and then to have some points to show for it."

He added that he wasn't expecting to finish the race with a one-stop strategy. However, the tire degradation was less, and he managed to cross the checkered flag without any hiccups.

Bearman's teammate Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, revealed that Haas made setup changes to the car after the sprint race, which completely turned things around for them.

With notable improvements from China, the Haas F1 team would likely aim for better progress in Japan next week.