Ferrari junior driver Bearman set to drive for Haas in openng practice
Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman is set to participate in the opening practice at this weekend's British Grand Prix, taking over Kevin Magnussen's car for the first 60-minute session.
Haas confirmed earlier today that Oliver Bearman will drive for the American team in 2025, making his debut as a full-time driver in Formula One.
The Kannapolis-based outfit has now announced that Ferrari's junior driver will participate in the opening 60-minute practice session on home soil, his third of six planned outings in 2024.
Bearman will take Kevin Magnussen’s place for the Free Practice 1 on Friday afternoon, before the Dane returns from FP2 onwards.
Commenting on the announcement, Bearman noted: “When I found out I was taking part in six FP1 sessions with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and saw one of them was Silverstone, I’ve been counting down the days to it! It’s an amazing circuit and it will be a special feeling leaving the pit lane in front of all the British fans.”
The American outfit enjoyed a successful time last time out at Spielberg. Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were left greatly encouraged by Haas's performance in the Austrian Grand Prix, with the pair scoring a significant double points finish for the team in sixth and eighth respectively.
Speaking of this weekend's British Grand Prix, Hulkenberg revealed that Silverstone belongs to one of his favourite tracks.
“The British Grand Prix is one of the events on the calendar that everyone looks forward to. It’s a classic, including some of my favorite corners in F1 and is a super-fast track, many drivers love to race at Silverstone.
"You also have to give a shout-out to the fans in the UK, come rain or shine they’re in the grandstands cheering everybody on.”
After scoring only for the second time this season, Kevin Magnussen has acknowledged that he is not only looking forward to the driving experience on the high-speed Silverstone track, but he is also eager to enjoy the food in Great Britain.
“Silverstone is an awesome race with a really cool track and the fans there are classic Formula 1 fans, they’re real Formula 1 fans. It’s always an exciting race and as we all know it often rains, but I always look forward to it. It’s not that much of a technical track, but with corners like Maggotts and Becketts, it’s super high-speed.
"The track is the most exciting part of the week, but the food is also good. I’m always eating curries – it’s become the national dish almost of the UK – so I’m happy. It’s a home race for many members of the team so that also makes the week feel different.”
