Amid growing uncertainty that Kevin Magnussen will be allowed to contest every round of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Oliver Bearman’s free practice outing with Haas at Imola this weekend couldn’t come at a better time.
Bearman’s campaign in 2024 has been fragmented at best.
After a troubling opening round to the Formula 2 season with an uncompetitive Prema machine at Bahrain, the young Brit was pulled from his pole position at Jeddah to make a sensational F1 debut with Ferrari, replacing the appendicitis-suffering Carlos Sainz.
The Ferrari Reserve Driver didn’t look like the Scuderia’s youngest-ever competitor as he rose to the occasion and scored points on debut with a fine seventh-place finish.
Hotly tipped for an F1 drive next year, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur said after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that “The main focus [for Bearman] is and will stay the F2 this season.”
However, Bearman had another difficult F2 outing at Melbourne and as a result, only has two points in the championship thus far. It’s clear that any hopes of an F2 title are out of reach for the 19-year-old and regardless, impressing in an F1 car will likely serve him better if he wants a full-time drive next year.
That’s certainly the opinion of Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, who believes that assessing Bearman’s aptitude during F1 free practice sessions holds “more weight” than his F2 campaign.
“It is a combination; he needs to perform in F2, for sure,” Komatsu said. “But, when we work with him directly, you [need to] understand all the ins and outs, all the environment or the reasoning for certain things happening. So yeah, I’d put probably more weight on what we do with him, how he performs in our environment. But of course he needs to perform in F2. That’s clear.
“We’ve got six [FP1] sessions lined up for him, so we will see the first of that in Imola. We are really looking forward to see how we can develop him and how well we can work together.”
Alongside practice outings and testing duties at Ferrari, Bearman is also a Reserve Driver for Haas and as Komatsu stated, this weekend is the first of six FP1 sessions with the team. In Imola, Bearman will participate in FP1 in place of Magnussen. Given that teams are only required to offer two FP1 slots throughout the year for reserve and development drivers, it’s clear Haas is auditioning Bearman for its spare 2025 seat, vacated by Nico Hulkenberg.
“I’m really looking forward to re-joining the team and taking part in the FP1 in Imola,” said Bearman. “The team is having a strong season and I’m hoping, with the extra experience I have since our last time together, I’ll be able to help continue the run of form they’re in!”
Auditioning, or even preparing, as it would be a major shock if Bearman misses out on a 2025 drive. Moreover, Bearman’s FP1 drive in place of Magnussen is timely, given the Dane has a potential race ban looming over him. After some questionable driving antics in Miami, Magnussen’s penalty points tally has risen to 10 out of the required 12 to earn a one-race ban.
The race stewards have been keen to hand out two penalty points alongside time penalties for offences such as causing a collision during a GP and with 18 rounds of the 2024 season left to contest, it would be a safe bet that Magnussen will have to sit on the sidelines at least once due to Haas’ readiness to deploy him as a moving roadblock.
With Magnussen sidelined, Bearman is the obvious candidate to step up in his place to complete Haas’ racing effort and as a result, the timing of his Imola outing is convenient to say the least.
