After his stunning surprise debut in place of the appendicitis-addled Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Jeddah, Bearman is now finally starting the main challenge of his season in the top categories of single-seaters.
Imola marks the first of six FP1 appearances with Haas that were earmarked into his deal as the team’s reserve driver for 2024, along with his similar duties as a Ferrari junior.
In this weekend’s first 60-minute session, which follows Bearman’s 2023 practice running for the team in Mexico and at Abu Dhabi, the 19-year-old ended up 15th in Kevin Magnussen’s car. He was told late on by Magnussen’s regular race engineer Mark Slade that the “lack of updates” he was receiving in the 60-minute showing was because Haas thought he was “doing a good job”.
Speaking at Imola on Thursday, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu called Bearman’s 2024 FP1 sessions “a golden opportunity for us to work with him”.
“And then assess how he is, where he is, what his strengths and weaknesses are,” Komatsu, who was glowingly effusive about a driver he bonded with immediately in Mexico last year, explained.
“See how we can develop him and also work together if we want it. So, yeah, it’s a pretty good job interview situation.”
But after his 2023 practice outings and his late call-up for Ferrari went so smoothly, the subtext of what Komatsu said next is intriguing.
“I’m not hoping for some misfortune on the car or anything, but at some point, he will face some obstacles,” he continued.
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, adjusts his helmet in the garage
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“You know, some things that didn’t go his way or I don’t know whether a car issue or yellow flag or red flag situation or whatever. Then, how he handles that, with a compromised situation, how he is still going to be able to focus on and behave in the manner that he can get the best out of that.”
Essentially, Haas wants to see how Bearman stacks up through all the challenges F1 drivers can face – glamorous, good, bad and ugly, on track and off track.
This is why Haas arranged a full media appearance for Bearman before the regular race drive slot on Thursday. In this case, it was Sauber-bound Hulkenberg, who arrived briefly surprised at the number of journalists gathered in the Haas motorhome.
When Bearman had spoken, he’d grabbed attention with this: “I see it, of course, as my chance. But just because there is a seat free doesn’t mean you know…
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