The French team principal advises the 18-year-old to focus on his Formula 2 program and capitalize on the Haas FP1 sessions he’s set to undertake following his successful stand-in performance for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia.
With Charles Leclerc’s recent contract extension and Lewis Hamilton’s impending arrival from Mercedes in 2025, Ferrari currently has no immediate openings.
Consequently, Ferrari might place Bearman elsewhere until a seat becomes available, with Haas presenting a potential opportunity. However, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has expressed satisfaction with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.
When questioned about the possibility of Bearman following in Hamilton’s footsteps as a British driver at Ferrari, Vasseur emphasized that it’s premature to speculate, particularly given Hamilton’s pending debut. Vasseur stated, “Don’t start to speak about after Lewis Hamilton. Lewis is still not in the team!”
Regarding Bearman’s future prospects, Vasseur emphasized the importance of continued learning and progress. He highlighted Jeddah as a step forward but stressed that future challenges in Formula 2 await. Bearman will partake in several FP1 sessions with Haas during the season to gain valuable experience.
Bearman secured the Jeddah drive as Ferrari’s designated reserve driver for the weekend despite juggling his Formula 2 commitments. This arrangement also applies to the upcoming Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari opted not to keep Antonio Giovinazzi or Robert Shwartzman on standby in Jeddah due to their busy schedules, including commitments to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Maranello simulator work. Instead, Ferrari chose to rotate reserve duties and utilize the Formula 2 weekends when Bearman was available.
Vasseur justified this decision by stating, “I found it a bit stupid last year to ask Antonio to do 22 or 24 races when he was doing parallel the LMH program.” Consequently, when Bearman is with Ferrari, he serves as the reserve driver, while Giovinazzi will take up the role at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Also read: Norris Stands Firm: McLaren’s “Aggressive” Jeddah F1 Strategy Call Upheld
