Ferrari Driver Academy ace and Scuderia reserve racer Oliver Bearman is now ‘widely expected’ to secure a seat on the 2025 Formula 1 grid with two drivers put on notice.
The 18-year-old is striving to seal his full-time graduation to the pinnacle of motorsport after a fantastic cameo on debut. Ferrari hastily placed Bearman in the SF-24 at the Saudi Arabian GP when Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis. Yet he stayed calm to score points.
Bearman was already in Jeddah to continue his second season in Formula 2 with Prema. The Chelmsford native is eying the junior series title this year but shelved his championship for a round. Ferrari also saw the FDA talent qualify in P11 before finishing in P7 after a clean race.
Ferrari gem Bearman is ‘widely expected’ to join Haas in 2025
Now, what Bearman showed in the Saudi Arabian GP has put his name firmly in the mix for a full-time Formula 1 race seat next term. That is according to Speedcafe, which reports that it is ‘widely expected’ that Bearman will replace Kevin Magnussen or Nico Hulkenberg at Haas.
A seat could open up for the American squad as Haas only have Magnussen and Hulkenberg under contract for 2024. Haas have also shared a special relationship with Ferrari since they joined the grid in 2016. So, Bearman joining Haas is a logical step for his graduation into F1.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship
Ferrari will be reluctant to stunt Bearman’s progression by failing to arrange the teenager a 2025 Formula 1 race seat. He won the Italian and German Formula 4 double in 2021 before finishing third in the 2022 Formula 3 season. Bearman won four races in his rookie F2 term.
Haas are likely to retain Hulkenberg over Magnussen in 2025
Additionally, Joe Saward reports that Haas would be ‘happy’ to sign Bearman to a 2025 seat as Hulkenberg’s teammate if Ferrari asked. But Haas might also ask Ferrari to give a suitable discount on the cost of their engines to axe Magnussen for a driver the Scuderia want in F1.
Hulkenberg has led Haas so far this year and also led Magnussen last season. The 36-year-old German, who has entered 209 F1 races, took nine points in 2023 and has three this year to the 31-year-old Dane, who has entered 167 Grand Prix, with three last year and one this.
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