Since the introduction of the current penalty system in Formula 1, no driver has ever received a ban for accumulating too many points.
However, a particularly dramatic race weekend in Miami for Haas driver Kevin Magnussen means the Dane is closing in on having to sit out of a Grand Prix.
A report from The Athletic has explained what is likely to happen should he go over the limit.
F1 drivers aren’t allowed to pick up more than 12 points over 12 months and Magnussen has already been handed 10 points.
READ MORE: Haas driver Kevin Magnussen’s life outside F1 from wife and daughters to net worth
Unfortunately for the 31-year-old, his tally won’t reset until the start of the next year.
It means that Haas have to be prepared if Magnussen is handed a ban and Ferrari junior driver Oliver Bearman is the man being lined up in case that happens.
It wouldn’t be the British teenager’s first experience of stepping in for another driver this season after his eye-catching cameo in Saudi Arabia.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship
Oliver Bearman lined up to replace Kevin Magnussen at Haas if he receives a one-race ban
The Miami Grand Prix weekend produced plenty of action with Lando Norris stealing the headline by earning his first-ever win.
However, in Saturday’s Sprint Race, all the attention was on who would score the final point with several drivers battling it out.
Kevin Magnussen was defending from Lewis Hamilton as he tried to protect his teammate Nico Hulkenberg ahead of him.
His defensive driving was on the edge, to say the least, and he picked up several time penalties and three penalty points for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
In the Grand Prix a day later, he received another 30 seconds worth of penalties and two more penalty points on his license for being adjudged to have caused the collision that ended Logan Sargeant’s race.
Add that to the three penalty points he earned in Saudi Arabia for causing a collision with Alex Albon and two more points he received in China for the same offence and Magnussen is staring down the barrel of missing a race with 18 Grand Prix still to take part in.
Should Magnussen earn a ban, then Haas will turn to Oliver Bearman to step into his car.
He’s going to be taking part in FP1 for Haas in Imola and will join the team for practice sessions on five more occasions in 2024.
It’s all leading up to Bearman potentially being in one of their race seats next season, with Magnussen’s future very much in doubt.
READ MORE: Who is Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman? Everything you need to know
Kevin Magnussen racing to save his Haas future
The report from The Athletic says Bearman would be ‘first in line’ to step in for Magnussen at Haas if he does pick up a ban.
Described as ‘world-class’ by former driver Giedo van der Garde, the British teenager looks set to potentially replace Nico Hulkenberg in 2025.
Haas were said to be unhappy with Magnussen for his comments after the Sprint Race where he suggested he chose to drive in the way he did to help the team.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu is said to be unconvinced about keeping the Danish driver beyond this season.
That may open up the possibility of someone like Zhou Guanyu joining Haas next year.
The erratic nature of the F1 driver’s market hands the power to the teams rather than the driver at this time.
The post Report: ‘World-class’ driver is now ‘first in line’ to replace Kevin Magnussen if he picks up a one-race ban appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
