Chelmsford's Ollie Bearman to make full weekend debut for Haas at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
He'll be the fourth British driver on the grid from 2025.
Last updated 6th Sep 2024
British teenager Ollie Bearman will make his second Formula One appearance at next weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a replacement for the banned Kevin Magnussen.
It'll be his full weekend debut for Haas, ahead of joining the driver line-up for the 2025 season.
Magnussen is stuck in the paddock after he triggered a suspension for reaching 12 points on his licence.
Bearman impressed as a stand-in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
The American team have confirmed that the 19-year-old from Essex will fill Magnussen's vacant cockpit in Baku.
Bearman said, "It's definitely more of a challenge, stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on, but I'm in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience.
"I've also had four FP1 sessions with Haas already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku.
"The team is in good form at the moment and I'll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available.
The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan."
Bearman, who is currently a reserve driver for Haas, became the youngest British driver in F1 history with his debut in Jeddah after Sainz was ruled out at the last minute with appendicitis.
Bearman, a member of Ferrari's young driver academy, qualified 11th, and then made up four places in the race to finish seventh - two positions ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton, described Bearman's display as "phenomenal" and that of a "future star".
Magnussen, who remains without a seat next year, was hit with a 10-second penalty and two points for colliding with Alpine's Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
The Dane, who finished 10th in Monza, will become the first driver since Romain Grosjean in 2012 to miss a race through a ban.