Fred Vasseur has suggested caution when assessing Oliver Bearman’s future, insisting the teenager will want to impress the rest of the Formula 2 crusade and his FP1 appearances for Ferrari and Haas if he is to earn a full-time F1 berth next season.
The 18-year-old was appointed Ferrari’s reserve driver over the winter and made his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replacing Carlos Sainz, who was diagnosed with appendicitis and forced to undergo surgery.
What followed was one of the most memorable early performances in recent memory, with Bearman holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to record a P7 at one of the most physically and mentally difficult circuits on the calendar. His attention turns to his F2 campaign, where he is yet to score any points.
When asked about Bearman’s plans at Ferrari, Vasseur replied: “Don’t start talking about the post-Lewis Hamilton, Lewis is not in the team yet!But it’s a smart sign for Ollie, it’s a vital step. In Melbourne and Imola, he’ll be back in the F2 project and the biggest challenge for Ollie will be that.
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“He will soon start FP1 sessions with Haas, and it will also be up to us to provide him with enjoyment and mileage in the car. But for sure, with this one [Jeddah], he already has the result in his pocket. “
While Jeddah was a watershed moment for Bearman, Vasseur was willing to believe that the teenager will have to continue his progression from here if he wants to make the step up to the F1 grid for the 2025 season.
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“Jeddah should be seen as a stage, not the end goal,” he added. “He did well this week, but he will have other demanding situations ahead of him in the long term in F2.
“He’ll do a couple of FP1s with us and Haas throughout the season and all of you, myself included, in six months’ time we’ll switch to not talking about Jeddah, we’ll move on to talking. about Mexico, Brazil, and whether it’s okay or not. And every day will be a new challenge, but I’m sure that if it helps to maintain the same technique as today, it will be good.