The Frenchman says that the 18-year-old should concentrate on his F2 programme and make the most of the Haas FP1 running that he has lined up.
Ferrari has no vacancies for the immediate future as Charles Leclerc’s contract was recently extended, while Lewis Hamilton will join from Mercedes for 2025 on a multi-year deal.
Ferrari can potentially place Bearman elsewhere until it has a vacant seat, with Haas the obvious opportunity, although team principal Ayao Komatsu has stressed that he’s happy with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.
When asked if Bearman could eventually follow in Hamilton’s footsteps as a Briton at Ferrari Vasseur made it clear that it’s too early for such suggestions, especially given that the seven-time world champion hasn’t even started.
“Don’t start to speak about after Lewis Hamilton, Lewis is still not in the team!,” he said when asked about Bearman’s chances after his impressive drive to seventh in Jeddah.
“But it’s a good signal for Ollie for sure, it’s an important milestone. In Melbourne and Imola he will be back on the F2 project, and the most important challenge for Ollie will be this one.
“He will start soon the FP1 sessions with Haas, and this will be important also for us to give him experience and mileage in the car. But for sure with this one [Jeddah] he has the result in the pocket already.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24 battles with Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Bearman will be undertaking an extended programme of FP1 sessions for Haas with outings at Imola, Barcelona, Silverstone, Hungary, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi.
Vasseur stressed that he has to continue to learn and show improvement.
“You have to consider Jeddah is a step, not the final target,” he said. “He did well this weekend, but he will have other challenges in front of him in the future with the F2.
“He will do a couple of FP1s with us and Haas during the season and all of you, including me, in six months’ time we won’t speak any more about Jeddah, we’ll speak about Mexico, Brazil [sic], and if he’s doing well or not.
“And every single day will be a new challenge. But for sure, if he’s keeping the same approach as today, it will go well.”
Bearman landed the Jeddah drive because he was the designated Ferrari reserve for the weekend, despite being busy with his own F2 commitments. That is also the case for the upcoming Australian…
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