Haas claims that there are no guarantees that Oliver Bearman will secure a full-time seat in the Formula 1 team in 2025, despite his impressive performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bearman made his F1 debut for Ferrari as a substitute for Carlos Sainz, who couldn’t race due to appendicitis. Despite limited practice time, Bearman adapted well to the challenging Jeddah track and finished seventh in the race, ahead of both Mercedes cars and Lando Norris. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu described Bearman’s performance as “amazing” and acknowledged the expectations surrounding the young driver, who also serves as a reserve driver for Haas. However, Komatsu praised the current driver pairing, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, and emphasized that their performance on the day justified their positions for the next year.
Bearman was chosen by Haas to fulfill the requirement of having a rookie driver participate in two free practice sessions last year. Komatsu, who was present at those sessions, recalled how impressed he was with Bearman’s performance. According to Komatsu, it was evident from the start that Bearman had something special, not only in terms of speed but also in his overall skills and understanding of the goals. Bearman showed maturity beyond his years, quickly adapting and making adjustments to improve his performance. Despite his impressive skills, Bearman does not expect to be in the Ferrari car alongside Charles Leclerc in Australia. However, he will be trackside as he continues his campaign in Formula 2. Bearman was originally scheduled to start on pole position in Jeddah, but his unexpected call-up to Ferrari changed his plans. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur remains optimistic about Carlos Sainz’s return for the race in Melbourne.
