Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are fighting for their futures in the pinnacle of motorsport this year with the Haas Formula One team. Their contracts expire at the end of 2024. According to one insider, the German has a much better chance of being re-signed. The Dane, in turn, could be replaced by an exceptional talent.

Will the 2024 season be Kevin Magnussen’s last? According to insider and long-time Formula One reporter Joe Saward, there are already rumours circulating in the pit lane that the Dane’s contract will not be renewed.

Saward reports on his blog that Haas are looking to sign Ferrari super-talent Oliver Bearman instead. The 18-year-old Ferrari junior stepped into the cockpit at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as an emergency replacement for the ill Carlos Sainz and immediately scored points with a sensational seventh-place finish.

 

 

Impressive debut

Oliver Bearman, who entered Formula One as a replacement for Carlos Sainz at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Ferrari, received an unexpected moral boost ahead of his debut race. Among the many messages of support and encouragement, a special one came from Sebastian Vettel, a figure Bearman has admired since his early days in motorsport.

Starting from eleventh on the grid, Bearman finished a remarkable seventh, scoring his first points and instantly capturing the attention and admiration of the F1 world. Bearman, just 18 years old from the UK, went into the race with modest expectations but delivered a performance that belied his years.

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Bearman’s stellar performance

Entering the race in Jeddah as a relative unknown to the F1 world, 18-year-old Bearman approached his debut with a mixture of humility and determination.

“Surprisingly, it felt like any other race,” he said, despite the high-pressure environment and the illustrious reputation of his team, Ferrari. Starting from eleventh on the grid, Bearman navigated his way through the field to a commendable seventh place finish and his first points in the championship.

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Race seat at Haas for Bearman?

Bearman’s debut has not only cemented his position as a promising talent in Formula One, but has also sparked speculation about his future career path, particularly regarding a potential seat with the Haas F1 Team.

“Hopefully this will open a door for me,” says Bearman. “That would be fantastic. Because I don’t know what else I can do.”

With Bearman already booked for six Friday sessions with Haas in 2024, his relationship with the American customer Ferrari team is firmly established. Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu’s recognition of Bearman’s talent and potential suggests that Bearman is firmly on Haas’ radar for a future seat.

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Haas hoping for Ferrari discount?

Saward claims that Haas would welcome the youngster with open arms, “most likely alongside Hulkenberg” from 2025. However, this is not without ulterior motives, with the journalist suggesting that Haas would be hoping for a small discount on their next engine purchase in return.

For the Scuderia, this scenario could end up being a win-win situation, despite some financial losses in the relationship with Haas. On the one hand, Ferrari would be bringing its greatest talent into F1 at an early stage. On the other hand, the Scuderia would be able to keep the young Briton warm in the hope of eventually having a successor to Lewis Hamilton at their disposal.

Incidentally, the Red team once did something similar with Charles Leclerc. Monegasque is also a product of our own young factory. And he too was “temporarily parked” before his promotion, back then at Sauber.

In 2019, he made the leap to the team and took over Kimi Raikkonen’s cockpit.

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Who is Ollie Bearman?

Before Oliver Bearman made headlines with his impressive Formula One debut with Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the young British driver had already charted a course through the competitive world of motorsport that hinted at his potential for big things. 

A Chelmsford boy, educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, he entered the Ferrari Drivers’ Training School at the age of 16. Oliver Bearman’s racing career began in karting, the traditional proving ground for future racing stars. Demonstrating an innate understanding of race dynamics and a competitive spirit from an early age, Bearman quickly made a name for himself on karting circuits across Europe. 

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Transition to single-seaters

Bearman’s move to single-seater racing marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career. He made his debut in the competitive arena of Formula 4, competing in both the Italian and ADAC (German) Formula 4 Championships. It was in these series that Bearman really began to shine, proving his talent against a field of ambitious young drivers, all vying for recognition and the chance to further their careers.

Bearman had just won both the German and the Italian Formula Four championships, and his performances were making the people at Maranello sit up and take notice. Recognising his talent, Ferrari signed Bearman up for its prestigious Driver Academy, a move that opened doors and provided him with invaluable resources for further development.

In spite of initial opposition from his mother, Terri, the young man moved to Modena, ten miles north of Ferrari headquarters in northern Italy. Two years later, his Italian twang is beginning to show.

“Maybe I was a bit lucky not to get the Essex accent,” he joked in an interview with the PA news agency.

“A lot of people have told me that my accent has changed, even though I don’t notice it. I spend a lot of time with Italians and it is not easy to communicate with people for whom English is not their first language, so I have changed my word order and ended up with this ubiquitous accent.

“When I moved to Modena, it happened very quickly. It was like going to university two years early, but I have loved every moment so far. My mother was very pro-school and very pro-education, but we managed to convince her in the end.”

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Step up to F3 and F2

With the momentum of his Formula 4 success propelling him forward, Bearman moved up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, a crucial stepping stone on the road to Formula 1. Competing in Formula 3 presented new challenges, including tougher competition and more complex cars, but Bearman adapted quickly.

His time in Formula 3 was marked by consistent performances and a knack for securing points finishes, which contributed to his growing reputation as a driver with both speed and strategic acumen. He then transitioned again, this time into F2.

After four wins in his inaugural season in Formula Two, the final feeder series to F1, Bearman stepped into the limelight in Mexico City, overtaking Lando Norris to become the sport’s youngest British driver. He remained with Prema Racing for a second season before being confirmed as Scuderia Ferrari’s third reserve driver for 2014.

When Ferrari announced their decision, they said that he would share the role with Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Swartzman.

 

 

Debut with Ferrari

When Carlos Sainz’s unexpected absence from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix presented an opportunity, Bearman was ready to step into the spotlight.

Making his Formula One debut with Ferrari, one of the sport’s most iconic teams, was a dream come true for Bearman. Starting from eleventh on the grid and finishing seventh, he exceeded expectations and proved he could compete at the highest level of motorsport.

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