F1 | Oliver Bearman will be Haas reserve and will lap in 6 FP1 sessions

The month in which we get back on track has finally arrived and the 2024 season is approaching day by day. On Friday, Haas will unveil its new livery for the next championship but, in the meantime, it has also announced who its reserve drivers will be, ready to replace the team's official bearers in the event of incapacity.

Filling this role will be the confirmed Pietro Fittipaldi, now a member of the team for several seasons, so much so that he has not only taken part in several test sessions over the years, but also replaced Romain Grosjean in 2020 after the terrible accident in Bahrain. However, Fittipaldi will also be involved in other programs, which is why Haas also looked for profiles, focusing on Oliver Bearman.

The Briton is part of the Ferrari program dedicated to young talents and, as has already happened in the past with other Ferrari drivers, he will join Haas on loan. Bearman had been before announced as official Ferrari reserve together with Robert Shwartzman and Antonio Giovinazzi, as the latter two will be involved in the WEC where they will drive the 499P Hypercar.

Last year the 18-year-old drove for Haas in FP1 in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, also taking part in the tests dedicated to young drivers again at Yas Marina, where he made good impressions on the team who appreciated his coldness and concreteness. This week Bearman then had the opportunity to accumulate further kilometers on board the Ferrari 2022 during a test session organized in Barcelona by the Cavallino team, thus gaining experience for his work on the simulator.

In addition to his reserve role, which will see him accompany the team on various stages around the world, Haas has already prepared a packed program of six FP1 sessions for Bearman, which goes well beyond the FIA ​​regulatory requirement of having a rookie race in two events introduced a few years ago. The Briton will be busy at Imola, Barcelona, ​​Silverstone, Hungaroring, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi, in a program similar to the one Giovinazzi prepared in 2017. This year Bearman will also face his second year of Formula 2, again with Prema, where, however, he will find Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his companion.

Fittipaldi, a longtime Haas reserve, will drive in IndyCar this year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but after the deal was announced he made it clear he wanted to stay involved with Haas and serve as a reserve on non-conflict weekends , which is why Haas had to look for an alternative.

“Oliver did an amazing job for us last season, settling in well and working with both the FP1 test programs in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, as well as the testing programme,” said new Team Principal Ayao Komatsu.

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

“We're looking forward to giving him the opportunity to do more FP1 outings in 2024: with testing becoming more frequent, this is a key period of time to evaluate Oliver's progress, but also to get him to do some test aboard an F1 car”.

“Having Pietro with us for a sixth season is invaluable, as he once again ensures continuity and has made a great contribution to our program over the years, both on and off the track. We're happy he's landed a full-time seat in IndyCar this season so he can do what he loves to do, which is race, but also be there for us as part of the Haas family.”

Bearman is satisfied, thus approaching Formula 1 and being able to accumulate experience in the event of a possible debut in the coming years, obviously provided he performs well in the preparatory category this season: “I'm really happy to be part of the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for next season. Last year I had a great experience working with everyone on the team and I look forward to building on that experience this year. There are several events where I will be participating in FP1, as well as reserve duties, which is exciting. I am grateful to Haas F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari for their trust and support.”

“I am happy and proud to start my sixth season with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team” – said Fittipaldi -. “I look forward to continuing our development work and supporting the team in the best way possible throughout the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.”