F1: Bearman steps in for Magnussen at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
British teenager Oliver Bearman will replace the suspended Kevin Magnussen for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend, Haas F1 Team announced on Friday.
Bearman, 19, previously substituted for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia this season, where he finished seventh. He will now partner with Nico Hulkenberg for Haas at the Baku race.
“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 Scuderia Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience,” Bearman said. “I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku.”
Magnussen has been handed a one-race suspension after accumulating 12 penalty points in a 12-month period, following a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly during the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday. He is the first driver to face such a sanction since the penalty system was introduced a decade ago.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu expressed his support for Bearman: “I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku. This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend.”
(Source: AFP)
