Ferrari teenage protege Oliver Bearman gets his second unexpected call-up to race in Formula 1, this time at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, and is relishing the prospect of doing all sessions as opposed to hopping into a car for FP2 and being told to race it!
The British Formula 2 driver and Haas F1 reserve this time around has a lot more time to prepare for his second Grand Prix (this weekend in Baku) than he did when he made a remarkable last-minute, 11th-hour substitution of Carlos Sainz, who was taken ill, the Ferrari man hospitalised, and Berman told to suit up for his debut at the 2024 Saudi GP.
At the daunting Jeddah high-speed circuit FP2 on Saturday was his first taste of official F1 action apart from a few FP1 outings with Haas. Under trying and quite extraordinary circumstances, which Sainz's appendix emergency triggered, history shows that Bearman impressed hugely and went on to score points on his F1 debut for Ferrari.
With that performance, the 19-year-old driver—thanks to his Ferrari backers—sealed the deal to race for the Haas F1 Team next year, alongside Esteban Ocon. Bearman's F1 debut will always go down to one of the most solid and respectable showings by a young driver ejected onto the F1 stage and did more than expected.
Bearman: I’m happy I have a lot of laps in the car.
This time around, for his second Grand Prix, replacing race-banned Kevin Magnussen, and with a lot more notice than his call-up to stand in for Sainz in Jeddah, Bearman will get a reality check at Haas, a far cry from Ferrari.
Nevertheless, it's a golden opportunity for the youngster to further acclimatise with the American team's systems, the personnel, and the environment he will work in next year. In the race seat, not merely as an FP1 guest.
Heading to Baku, in the Haas preview, Bearman said: “I’m excited about getting back inside a Formula 1 car and competing in my first full weekend. I’ve done FP1s with the team, but to be able to build on that and actually do a full weekend is a really exciting prospect.
"Last year I had a lot of success in Baku, and it’s really one of my favourite tracks to compete at, so I’m really excited to get going. I’ve had time in the simulator; it’s definitely a challenging track, but not a permanent circuit. The walls are very close, and it’s tight in some places, especially the famous castle section."
Slade: It will be a great opportunity to work with Ollie
"That’s another point to focus on; make sure to build up to speed in an as measured way as possible. I’m happy I have a lot of laps in the car because this will be my first full weekend, which I haven’t had the pleasure of having before," Bearman recalled.
Race Engineer, Mark Slade added: "It will be a great opportunity to work with Ollie through a full event for the first time. He has shown his pace and talent by winning both Formula 2 races on this track last year.
"Our task is to use our experience and knowledge to help him apply that ability and get the most out of himself and the car. It should be a fascinating race weekend," predicts Slade.
Haas confirmed Bearman would join the team next year, meaning an all-new driver lineup for the Ferrari-powered, Gene Haas-owned F1 team. Esteban Ocon will be Ollie's teammate in 2025, as Nico Hulkenberg moves to the Sauber Audi project.
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