Formula 1 has seen the 2025 driver’s market take centre stage much earlier in the season than normal after a year of stasis on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton announcing his move to Ferrari a move before the first race was the catalyst for almost every other driver on the grid considering their future before a wheel had turned in Bahrain.
Since then, more than half of the grid for next year has already been confirmed after just 10 race weekends.
A report from RacingNews365 has now shared that another driver’s future is set to be confirmed very soon.
Haas discovered earlier in the campaign that their efforts to retain Nico Hulkenberg were futile and he would be driving for Sauber next season.
Ever since then, they’ve been linked with Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman to replace him and despite a difficult F2 campaign, he looks set to be announced as the German’s replacement.
Fittingly for the British driver, it appears as though Haas will confirm Bearman’s seat for the 2025 F1 season at his home race at Silverstone next weekend.
It’s a huge step forward for the teenager who showed in Jeddah that he’s ready to become the fourth Brit on the grid next year.
READ MORE: Who is Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman? Everything you need to know
Haas to confirm Oliver Bearman’s seat at the British Grand Prix
It’s been a decent season for Ayao Komatsu’s Haas team after being rooted to the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship last year.
Nico Hulkenberg has been their main points scorer although in recent races he’s been extremely unlucky and continues to rack up 11-place finishes just outside the points.
Losing the 36-year-old is a very tough blow for Haas and they look set to replace experience with youth.
The report from RacingNews365 suggests that the ‘extraordinary’ Bearman – as described by Damon Hill on Sky Sports F1 during the coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix – will be announced as Haas’s newest driver during the British Grand Prix weekend.
He’ll be the first rookie to join the grid since Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries and Oscar Piastri at the start of the 2022 season.
Bearman will be hoping to have a start to his F1 career much more similar to the Australian than the other two drivers who made their bow that year.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship
Who could join Oliver Bearman at Haas in 2025?
Several drivers appear to be in contention to partner Bearman at Haas next season.
The current incumbent is Kevin Magnussen who admitted during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend that Carlos Sainz was the cork in the bottle of the driver market at this stage.
While Haas could retain Magnussen going forward, there are other drivers in the mix.
After announcing that he would be leaving Alpine at the end of the season, Esteban Ocon is also a candidate for the role.
It’s a deal that’s previously been suggested as being effectively done but no confirmation has arrived yet.
Gene Haas and Komatsu will be keeping a close eye on what the rest of the current drivers on the grid without contracts for 2025 do in the upcoming weeks and months.
It’s very unlikely that they’ll want a repeat of the Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin season with two rookies in the car.
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