'Haas enlists Oliver Bearman for Azerbaijan GP competition'
Oliver Bearman is set to take the wheel for the Haas F1 team at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, stepping in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen.
The 19-year-old Bearman will be making his second appearance in Formula One, having previously filled in for an unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March where he finished in seventh place.
Magnussen, 31, has been suspended for the race in Baku, Azerbaijan due to penalty points accumulated from the Italian Grand Prix. These points, combined with previous points on his record, have triggered the ban.
Hailing from Great Britain, Bearman has been competing in the F2 circuit this season while also serving as a substitute for both Haas and Ferrari. He has also completed four practice runs with Haas, with two more scheduled for the season.
Speaking on the challenge of stepping in as a reserve driver, 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 in the VF-24 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," he added.
In July, Haas announced Bearman as a full-time team driver for next season, replacing the current team of Nico Hulkenberg and Magnussen. Hulkenberg will be driving for Sauber/Audi next year, while Magnussen's contract expires at the end of the season.
Bearman will be paired with Esteban Ocon for the upcoming season.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu expressed his confidence in Bearman, saying, "This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn't ask for a better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference."
