Oliver Bearman made his F1 practice debut in 2023, making two appearances for Haas; Charles Leclerc’s younger
brother Arthur became a Ferrari development driver; Bearman will back up Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at
Ferrari in the 2024 Formula One season.
Bearman, eighteen, enrolled in the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021. He participated in his first F1 practice session in
2023, when he drove for Haas in Mexico City. He then returned to the driver’s seat for the final race of the season,
the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Along with Robert Shwartzman and Antonio Giovinazzi, Bearman will share Ferrari’s reserve driver responsibilities
for 2024. The three drivers will be available to assist or relieve Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc as needed.
“Oliver Bearman, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy student currently racing in Formula 2 with the Prema team,
will also take on the role of Reserve Driver, ready to step in if a race driver is incapacitated, a role he will share with
Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman,” Ferrari stated in a statement on Saturday.
“These last two are also taking part in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) at the wheel of the Ferrari 499 P
Hypercar, numbers 51 and 83 respectively.”
Bearman was sixth in his feeder series debut last year, winning three feature races and one sprint race. He will also
compete in another Formula 2 season for Prema Racing in 2024.
In 2022, Bearman participated in Formula 3 for Prema and placed third overall.
Additionally, Ferrari announced that Charles’s younger brother Arthur Leclerc will join the squad as a development
driver.
A few days prior, Charles Leclerc’s existing contract with Ferrari was confirmed to be extended; it was originally
scheduled to expire at the end of 2024.
