Ferrari now expect 12-point ‘animal’ will replace Oliver Bearman as 2025 F1 reserve driver

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Ferrari believe the Scuderia now have a replacement for Oliver Bearman lined up as the Briton prepares to quit his reserve driver role and join Haas on the 2025 Formula 1 grid.

The Maranello giants find themselves preparing for a few driver changes as the 2024 season draws to a close. Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari once the year is over and be Charles Leclerc’s teammate in 2025, with Carlos Sainz joining Williams after getting the boot.

Sainz will get his Williams debut during the post-season Pirelli test after the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But Mercedes refuse to free Hamilton to drive for Ferrari in the test, with the 39-year-old attending an event with the Silver Arrows’ title sponsors Petronas on the same day.

Ferrari even wanted to run Bearman in the post-season Abu Dhabi GP test. But the 19-year-old no longer counts as a Formula 1 rookie after making his third Grand Prix start with Haas in Brazil. Bearman is Haas, who he will race for in 2025, and Ferrari’s reserve driver in 2024.

Ferrari expect Zhou Guanyu will replace Oliver Bearman as their 2025 F1 reserve driver

Bearman is one of Ferrari’s three official reserve drivers with Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman, while also sharing Haas reserve duties with Pietro Fittipaldi. But with the teen replacing Nico Hulkenberg as one of Haas’ race drivers in 2025, Ferrari need a replacement.

And according to Corriere della Sera, Ferrari now expect Zhou Guanyu will accept an offer to replace Bearman as one of their F1 reserve drivers after being dropped by Sauber. The Swiss squad have confirmed that F2 title leader Gabriel Bortoleto will partner Hulkenberg in 2025.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth

Sauber will axe Zhou and teammate Valtteri Bottas after the 2024 Formula 1 season as Audi wanted a blend of experience with Hulkenberg and youth with Bortoleto to lead the Hinwil natives. Audi did not feel Zhou and Bottas should guide Sauber into its full takeover in 2026.

Zhou Guanyu could replicate Le Mans winner Antonio Giovinazzi by joining Ferrari

Zhou and Bottas both now face accepting reserve driver roles in 2025 if they are to remain a part of the Formula 1 paddock. Only Visa Cash App RB have a vacant seat, but neither of the Sauber exiles are in contention for a move to Red Bull’s junior team to partner Yuki Tsunoda.

Instead, Ferrari now expect Zhou to replace Bearman, and Bottas is in talks to be Mercedes’ reserve driver. It is not an unfamiliar role for Zhou, who was a test driver for Renault in 2020 and as Alpine in 2021 whilst with their driver academy before debuting with Sauber in 2022.

Ferrari named Bearman as an official F1 reserve driver for the first time in his career back in January, which also led to his debut by replacing Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Haas followed suit in February by naming Bearman as one of their reserve drivers for the season.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver and Ferrari gem Oliver Bearman? Everything to know

Now, Zhou could take Bearman’s place and become a Ferrari reserve after leaving Sauber as Giovinazzi did in 2021, albeit having been a Scuderia standby since 2017. Supporting Ferrari also led the Italian to race in WEC and win Le Mans on the Scuderia’s top-tier return in 2023.

A move to the World Endurance Championship and competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans may also become a possibility for Zhou, who Guenther Steiner thinks is an ‘animal’ behind the wheel. His F1 career is likely over after scoring just 12 points in 65 Grand Prix thus far.