Frederic Vasseur has made Oliver Bearman teammate demand after Haas announcement

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Oliver Bearman will make a full-time Formula 1 debut with Haas next season. The team announced ahead of the British Grand Prix that he’s signed a multi-year deal.

The 19-year-old has already had his first taste of F1 after replacing an unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian GP in March. He finished a commendable seventh and won the driver of the day award.

Bearman only expected to be driving in practice sessions in 2024. He’s already completed two with Haas (at the Emilia Romagna and Spanish GPs) and will take part in four more, including FP1 at Silverstone on Friday.

The Briton has taken advantage of the partnership between Haas and Ferrari. The Scuderia have supplied engines to the American outfit ever since they entered F1 in 2016.

Haas previously fielded Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher in 2021 and 2022 before opting for an all-veteran line-up of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg. But the latter’s move to Audi has opened the door for Bearman.

In the long term, he may hope to represent the Prancing Horse. He knows he could be the successor to 39-year-old Lewis Hamilton if he delivers in F1’s midfield.

Fred Vasseur wants a teammate to ‘challenge’ OIiver Bearman

According to Formu1a.uno, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has already offered his input on the identity of Bearman’s teammate. Magnussen is out of contract at the end of the year, so Haas are effectively choosing from a pool of available drivers.

Vasseur is ‘keen to encourage’ his counterpart Ayao Komatsu to ‘hire someone who could both challenge and teach’ Bearman. That suggests he wants an experienced presence in the car.

• READ MORE: Who is Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman? Everything you need to know

Magnussen has taken part in 174 Grands Prix but has damaged his reputation by getting involved in a series of incidents. He’s now accumulated 10 penalty points, putting him on the verge of a race ban.

Martin Brundle expects Esteban Ocon to replace him after he leaves Alpine. But Valtteri Bottas is also in contention, with Audi potentially showing him the door after securing Hulkenberg.

Bearman made ‘really difficult’ admission before joining Haas

While Bearman has impressed during his F1 outings this season, most notably in Jeddah, he’s actually endured a tough season in F2. Ahead of this weekend’s races, he sits 14th in the championship.

His victory in the Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring last time out was also his first podium of the campaign, and just his third top-eight finish. There are a couple of mitigating factors here, though.

First, he was due to start on pole for the Feature Race in Saudi Arabia before Ferrari called him up. And second, Prema are struggling to get to grips with the new F2 machinery, which may be why Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli is sitting a somewhat underwhelming ninth.

Bearman recently admitted that he was experiencing a ‘really difficult’ time in the feeder series. But he’s now achieved his main goal for the season, which may lift some of the pressure from his shoulders.