What makes Oliver Bearman’s second Formula 1 race weekend as a replacement for Kevin Magnussen at Haas a difficult task
Oliver Bearman is about to make his second appearance as a substitute in Formula 1. After standing in for Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari in Saudi Arabia in the spring, he is now allowed to drive for Haas in place of the suspended Kevin Magnussen. However, although Bearman can now complete all training sessions in advance, his return to Formula 1 will be far more difficult than the premiere
It’s not entirely unexpected for him: Magnussen had been at risk of receiving a penalty for too many offenses in recent months for some time. The time had come in Monza: Magnussen received penalty points again, reaching the decisive threshold of twelve penalty points in the past twelve months. This triggered his race ban for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
In principle, it was a question of time. Haas just didn’t know when exactly the penalty would come.
Now it’s Baku. And there are some interesting similarities between Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Haas substitute Bearman: both have won both Formula 2 races in Baku for the Prema team in one weekend.
In addition to their Formula 2 appearances in Baku, there are other similarities between Leclerc and Bearman: both competed in individual Friday training sessions for Haas before being promoted to a regular Formula 1 cockpit. However, the US team is much more impressed with Bearman than they were with Leclerc in 2016.
Even back then, Leclerc felt that his Formula 1 commitments were a hindrance to his actual mission in GP3 (now Formula 3). For this reason, Leclerc refrained from further Friday drives in Formula 1 until after his Formula 2 title win in 2017.
At the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Leclerc and Bearman crossed paths at Ferrari because Carlos Sainz was temporarily sidelined with appendicitis. And this at a time when Ferrari was the best pursuer of Red Bull. McLaren had made a weak start to the season, while Mercedes and Aston Martin were also no threat to the top. This made Bearman’s Formula 1 debut a little easier, but that should not detract from his performance
In the meantime, McLaren has overtaken Ferrari and Mercedes has also been faster than Ferrari at times, while Red Bull has fallen off the pace somewhat. So when Bearman climbs into the Haas VF-24, it will be under completely different conditions than in the spring: his car is not a podium contender, but is battling mainly with Racing Bulls in a tight midfield.
So if Bearman manages to finish in the points for Haas, that would be a great success. And that is certainly what Haas is aiming for.
Bearman himself says: “When you only have limited preparation time, it’s definitely a challenge to fill in as a reserve driver. But at least I did that a few months ago at Ferrari and can draw on that experience. I’ve also had four Friday appearances in the VF-24 this year, which will no doubt help me to master this weekend.”
Haas is currently “in good form”, says Bearman. “I will do my best to be well prepared. My goal is to have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan.”
As a Baku specialist, Bearman is of course a golden opportunity for Haas. It will also allow the Englishman to gain further experience in Formula 1 before he starts as a regular driver for Haas next year. Especially as some top drivers from the junior categories find it difficult to gain a foothold in the competitive midfield of Formula 1. Some young champions, for example, have never made it onto the Formula 1 podium.
Bearman, on the other hand, is very popular at Haas, not least because of his consistently good performances as a Friday driver, without necessarily being out for a fast lap. Now the requirement is completely different: Bearman has to be fast, and on a difficult street circuit at that, and this time it’s all about points. Or at least to support Nico Hülkenberg in the battle for the top 10.
Magnussen has overshot the limit here a few times this year, which has ultimately earned him his current race ban. Now Bearman has to prove himself.
“Oliver couldn’t have a better team-mate than Nico,” says Team Principal Ayao Komatsu. “He should be a good reference for him.”
However, Hülkenberg is leaving Haas at the end of the 2024 season, with Esteban Ocon joining from Alpine in his place. And it is quite possible that Ocon and Bearman will meet as future Haas team-mates on the race track, perhaps even in a direct duel. And that could be highly interesting with a view to 2025