New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS): Oliver Bearman will step into the empty Haas seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following Kevin Magnussen being hit with a one-race ban after being penalised for clashing with Alpine rival Pierre Gasly during the Italian Grand Prix, with the penalty points received tipping him over the limit for the season.

“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," Bearman said in a statement.

"I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with the 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,” he added.

This news follows after the Haas F1 Team signed Bearman to compete for the US team on a multi-year contract beginning with the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The 19-year-old Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member is currently an official reserve driver for the team while contesting the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Prema Racing

Bearman, in his additional role as reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari, made a memorable Formula 1 debut back in March in Saudi Arabia substituting for the sidelined Carlos Sainz – becoming the third-youngest racer in Formula 1 history. A mature performance from the then 18-year-old from Chelmsford saw Bearman classified seventh and firmly in the points on his one-off race appearance behind the wheel of the SF-24.

“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,” added Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team.