Ollie Bearman’s stellar F1 debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has made him a strong candidate for a full-time seat in the sport next year. With barely only three hours of notice, the 18-year-old F2 sensation jumped into an F1 car for the very first time and did a solid job to bag seventh in the race. Since Bearman was so impressive, the hosts of The Race’s F1 podcast believe that it would be a massive injustice if Haas choose to retain Kevin Magnussen instead of signing the young Briton.
An expert on the podcast said, “If Kevin Magnussen keeps his drive at Haas, and Ollie Bearman ends up being Haas reserve or something, that would be an injustice.” While Bearman promises to be a star of the future, Magnussen has failed to impress against teammate, Nico Hulkenberg.
Hence, many see the 31-year-old as a roadblock for talented young drivers like Bearman to get their shot at F1. The only experience that Bearman had in the SF-24 was the solitary hour of practice in FP3.
This is what makes his subsequent performances during Qualifying and in the main Grand Prix even more spectacular. The Briton has now become the poster boy for fans and the media who advocate shelving drivers who have not been performing at their peak for young and talented racers like the #38 driver.
Should F1 be making space for drivers like Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson?
While many see Ollie Bearman as the prime candidate to replace Kevin Magnussen at Haas next year, Liam Lawson’s name has also popped up in the conversation about driver line-ups in 2025. Lawson impressed the paddock when he filled in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo last year at AlphaTauri (now V-CARB).
As for Ricciardo, he too finds himself in a similar position as Magnussen as he has failed to impress in the two races that have concluded so far in the 2024 season. The Australian has been consistently outperformed by his V-CARB teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
As a result, it seems unlikelier by the day that the Honey Badger will get a second chance at Red Bull. It is also for the same reason that some fans have called for Ricciardo to make way for the likes of Lawson.
On the flip side, Nico Hulkenberg has not roused any discontent with his services on the grid. The German has received immense praise from experts after his brilliant performances with Haas recently. The 36-year-old has already managed to score one point this season and currently finds himself eleventh in the championship.
