FIA Formula 2 race winner Oliver Bearman will make his FIA Formula 1 World Championship practice debut later this year as he participates in two sessions with the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.
The eighteen-year-old, who won four races during his rookie Formula 2 season with Prema Racing, including both races of the Azerbaijan weekend, will take part in the opening session of both the Mexico City and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekends with Haas.
The British racer will begin bedding himself into the Haas team this weekend in Qatar, with the Ferrari Driver Academy racer set to be in the garage learning everything he can in preparation for his maiden outing in three weeks time.
“I am so happy to be joining MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driving in Mexico and Abu Dhabi,” said Bearman. “Getting to Formula 1 has been my dream since I was go-karting so to be driving a car for the first time this year is really special.
“I’m grateful to the team, and of course Ferrari, for allowing me this chance. I’m working hard to make sure I’m ready to support the team as best I can on both occasions.”
Guenther Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says the backing from the Ferrari Driver Academy means Bearman will come into his weekends having done a lot of preparation, and he is thrilled to see what the young Briton can do behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
“We’re very happy to offer Oliver Bearman these outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi,” said Steiner. “He’s had a stellar rookie season in Formula 2, four wins is testament to that, and as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy – we know his background preparation coming into these weekends will be first-rate.
“We look forward to welcoming Oliver into the team and have him drive the VF-23.”
Who Bearman will replace in each session has yet to be revealed, but it possibly means that both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg could miss out on running in either Mexico City or Abu Dhabi.