Oliver Bearman Speaks Out As Kevin Magnussen Baku Replacement Is Confirmed

Oliver Bearman will replace Kevin Magnussen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Oliver Bearman / Ferrari Press Image

Oliver Bearman is set to replace Kevin Magnussen at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, a move driven by Magnussen's recent ban from the event. The young British driver has reacted to the announcement revealing his excitement for the "valuable" experience.

Bearman’s previous experience with Ferrari and his four FP1 sessions with the Haas F1 team this season will serve as valuable assets during the full race weekend in Baku. Reflecting on his upcoming opportunity, Bearman stated in a press release from the team:

“It’s definitely more of a challenge stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on, but I’m in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Scuderia Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience.

"I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku. The team is in good form at the moment and I’ll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available. The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan.”

Team boss Ayao Komatsu confirmed his confidence in Bearman's capabilities, highlighting his previous performances and the promise he has shown throughout FP1 outings and post-season tests.

“I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku.

"He’s already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process. This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn’t ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference.”

The decision to bring Bearman into the main driver role for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix follows Magnussen's unfortunate ban after he reached the maximum number of penalty points on his super licence.

Bearman has already secured a full-time drive with the American team in 2025 when he will drive alongside current Alpine driver Esteban Ocon.

2024 F1 Drivers' Standings

1. Max Verstappen - 303 points
2. Lando Norris - 241 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 217 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 197 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 164 points
7. Sergio Perez - 143 points
8. George Russell - 128 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 50 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly - 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 6 points
17. Alex Albon - 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Franco Colapinto - 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points