Ferrari protege Oliver Bearman has been officially announced as a Haas F1 driver with a “multi-year” contract starting from 2025.
While the English teenager has been linked with the US-owned team for some time, confirmation that the deal will extend beyond next season is a clear indication that Ferrari wants him to conduct an extensive apprenticeship with its customer outfit.
The identity of the other Haas driver remains unknown, although Esteban Ocon is a favourite to replace Kevin Magnussen. It’s understood that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is keen to encourage Haas to hire someone who could both challenge and teach Bearman.
Bearman participated in two FP1 sessions with Haas last year, and that programme has continued into 2024. His latest run is at his home race in Silverstone this weekend.
He has endured a difficult second season in F2 with Prema, although he won the sprint race in Austria last weekend. His impressive debut for Ferrari in Jeddah, where he replaced the ill Carlos Sainz and finished seventh, was key to the decision to fast-track him into a race drive.
“It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1,” said Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu.
“He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian GP.
“Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons.
“We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car.
“Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.”
Hass pleased to give Bearman full-time seat
Team owner Gene Haas, who moved away from employing rookies after the difficult Mick Schumacher/Nikita Mazepin era, made it clear that he’s been impressed by the youngster.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to give Oliver Bearman this opportunity to drive full-time in F1,” he said. “He’s undoubtedly an exciting rookie prospect, not just based on what he showed in Saudi Arabia but also through his time developing his relationship with our team.
“I’m personally excited to see how he grows as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him deliver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team next season and beyond. This is an exciting time for the team. Oliver’s signing shows we continue to invest in talent – both on and off-track – as we continue to compete at the highest level.”
Bearman, who lies a modest 14th in the F2 standings despite his Austrian win, made it clear what the news means to him.
“It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” he noted. “To say out loud that I will be an F1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud.
“To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.
“To Gene, Ayao and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico, and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future.”
Bearman also paid tribute to those who have helped him at Ferrari: “To Fred [Vasseur], Marco [Matassa], Jock [Clear], Alessandro [Vantini] and everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you.
“Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity, and know I will give it everything I have.”
