Oliver Bearman shares how Nico Hulkenberg has helped him at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Oliver Bearman is taking part in his first full Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend on the streets of Baku.

The 19-year-old is stepping in for Kevin Magnussen after the Dane picked up two penalty points at Monza for a collision with Pierre Gasly. Those points took him to 12 in total, thus landing him with a race ban.

Magnussen becomes the first driver to be issued with a ban in more than a decade, after Romain Grosjean was suspended for causing a crash at Spa in 2012.

Haas decided to call up Bearman for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but team principal Ayao Komatsu stressed that Magnussen will not be permanently replaced.

Bearman stepped in for Carlos Sainz at Jeddah for Ferrari on his F1 debut, finishing seventh. Baku will present a bigger challenge for the Brit as he pilots a slower machine.

How Nico Hulkenberg has helped Oliver Bearman at Haas

Speaking on the F1 Show at Baku, Bearman explained how his teammate for the weekend has helped him at Haas.

Nico Hulkenberg has enjoyed an impressive season in 2024 thus far, scoring 22 points compared to Magnussen’s six and has recorded a highest finish of sixth at Spielberg and Silverstone.

READ MORE: Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

The German finished FP2 in eighth place, while Bearman was able to stay just under a tenth behind as he finished the session in the top 10 in 10th.

And the Brit cited Hulkenberg’s experience as being a huge help as he embarks on his first complete weekend in F1.

“Yeah, I mean it’s only Friday, so the times don’t mean much, but I’m working on improving myself,” he said.

“Nico’s been a great help to me with his driving, he’s a really experienced guy, really, really fast as well so I’ve had a great guy to try and follow.”

Oliver Bearman has a great chance to prove himself before joining Haas in 2025

Magnussen’s race ban comes as a perfect opportunity for Bearman to showcase his skills before the 2025 season.

The Brit will join Haas permanently for the 2025 season along with Esteban Ocon, as Hulkenberg makes the switch to Sauber and later Audi.

While practice sessions are not really much to go by, Bearman was keeping pace with Hulkenberg on Friday in what was an impressive performance.

With his second F1 race approaching, fans and pundits will be watching closely to see how Britain’s latest rookie will fare in an early debut for his new team.