Teenager given opportunity with American team Haas in F1 practice session
Ollie Bearman.
Ollie Bearman will drive for Haas F1 Team on Friday in the first practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The British driver will participate in his second of six FP1 sessions in 2024 after driving earlier this season for Haas at Imola in Italy.
Bearman is a prime candidate to step up to Formula 1 next season after impressing on his F1 debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia.
The Haas reserve driver delivered seventh place under the extra pressure of replacing Carlos Sainz, who suffered from appendicitis, midway through the weekend.
Bearman is also racing in FIA Formula 2 and drove to fourth place during the Feature Race last time out at Monaco.
His 13th place in the championship doesn't reflect his actual ability on the track after a tough start for his team PREMA in Bahrain and withdrawing from the round in Saudi Arabia to race in F1.
The 19-year-old will replace Nico Hulkenberg in this weekend's opening practice session; he will leave the team at the end of the season to join Sauber, potentially leaving an opportunity for Bearman.
Two seats could be available at Haas, as Kevin Magnussen is yet to be signed by the American team for 2025.
Bearman's main competition for a drive at Haas could be Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who is leaving Alpine at the end of the year after a five-year stint with the team.
Grand Prix-winning Ocon is very experienced but comes with his own baggage of a consistent record of colliding with multiple teammates. Haas has had problems with teammates causing unnecessary issues, such as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in 2021.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu may want to avoid a repeat of intra-team friction after an improved start to 2024.
Bearman would represent a young talent with high potential and experience in finishing a Grand Prix. The British driver may also need to secure a seat in Formula 1 next year, as the 2026 grid may be unpredictable with new rules on the horizon.
Good results are critical to stepping up to F1, but they can be quickly forgotten during a year on the sidelines.
"I have two FP1s in the next three weekends, so I’m really looking forward to getting back in the rhythm of things with Haas," Bearman said on Thursday, according to formula1.com. "My personal goal is of course just to keep improving myself, keep working on what I’ve identified as weak points when I drive in F1."
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