BEARMAN: “I KNEW I WOULD TAKE MAGNUSSEN’S PLACE AT SOME POINT THIS SEASON”
Oliver Bearman, who will drive Kevin Magnussen’s Haas at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, is looking to establish his foundation in Formula 1.
It has been confirmed that Bearman will remain permanently with Haas from next season onwards. With Magnussen accumulating 12 penalty points and being suspended from the race, Bearman will compete for Haas during the Azerbaijan GP weekend.
“These weren’t the circumstances I was hoping for, but it’s a great opportunity to gain experience and have a full race weekend.”
“I just want to take it step by step, and we have enough time to do that. We have three sessions this weekend, and I want to maximize my performance and gain experience. This will be the most sessions I’ve ever had in F1 at one time.”
“I’m just going to focus on improving myself and enjoying it. Of course, I’ve been working hard, and since it was announced that I’ll be racing with Haas, my preparations have been aimed toward next year.”
Bearman also admitted that the possibility of racing for Haas this season had been on the cards for some time.
“Kevin had been close to a racing ban for a while, so I knew that racing in F1 at some point this season was a potential possibility.”
“If I could choose, it would be a race that didn’t clash with F2, but you can’t choose when you’ll get your shot in F1, and you take every opportunity you get.”
“This is a great opportunity to show how ready I am, how I’ve developed, and what I’m capable of.”
“When we came here last year with F2, I felt very confident on this track. I’m just going to have a clean weekend and enjoy it.”
“The hard part is gaining confidence on a track like this because the walls are so close together… Last year, I made contact with the wall a few times, most notably in qualifying when I bent the suspension, which wasn’t a great moment for me.”
“So, I’ll leave a little more margin for safety, especially in the first sessions. I think the main goal is to feel confident with the car and myself before starting to push and find the limits.”
