Formula 1: Ollie Bearman to drive for Haas in 2025

Ollie Bearman’s Formula 1 career will officially begin in 2025.

The Ferrari junior driver was announced as one of Haas F1’s drivers for next season. The 19-year-old Bearman currently competes in F2 and got the first F1 start of his career earlier this season.

Bearman was forced to sub for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year when Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis. Bearman qualified 11th and finished seventh ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The finish made it clear that Bearman would be in line for a full-time ride in F1 sooner rather than later.

Bearman was promoted to replace Sainz because he’s serving as the reserve driver for both Ferrari and Haas this season. Haas uses Ferrari engines in its cars and with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc signed for the 2025 season, Haas was the only real F1 option for Bearman if Ferrari wanted to keep him within its system.

Haas currently fields Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in F1, but needed at least one new driver after Hulkenberg announced that he was heading to Sauber in 2025. Magnussen’s contract is up at the end of the season as well, and it seems unlikely that he will return to the team.

Per the F1 site, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon are ahead of Magnussen on the list of Haas’ options for Bearman’s teammate. Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season, while Sauber could opt to replace both Zhou Guanyu and Bottas if it signs Sainz.

Haas F1 owner Gene Haas has said he’s committed to F1 for the foreseeable future following the closure of his Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR team. SHR announced this spring that it was shutting down its four-car team at the end of the season, though Haas is keeping a presence in NASCAR. He recently revealed that he’ll field one car in the Cup Series in 2025 and also keep running SHR’s two-car Xfinity Series team.