Oliver Bearman has to “keep reminding Ferrari” of his talent to ensure that he will be first in the queue for a Formula 1 drive with the Scuderia when a seat next becomes available, according to former driver Karun Chandhok.
The British youngster has been a hugely impressive presence since arriving on the F1 scene, first as an impromptu stand-in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2024.
Bearman was handed a full-time seat with Haas last year, after impressing again the year previously with two cameos in the place of Kevin Magnussen.
The 20-year-old is a highly regarded talent in Maranello, having been part of its academy for four years, and has been touted as a possible replacement for Lewis Hamilton, once the seven-time World Champion decides to hang up his helmet.
And Chandhok believes that a continuation of his current form with the Ferrari-assisted American squad will enable his chances of securing a seat with the Italian giants in the near future.
“Ollie Bearman has done a brilliant job, really picked up from where he left off last season, when he outperformed Esteban Ocon,” he told Sky F1.
“I think Haas has done a good job. They’ve come out of the blocks [with a bang].
“They are one of the smallest teams in terms of the workforce on the grid, and they’ve come out with a car that is arguably best of the rest behind the top teams. He’s doing a great job.
“Ollie has just got to keep reminding Ferrari that he’s there. That’s his goal, right? It’s to remind Ferrari that when the day comes when Lewis [Hamilton] decides he’s had enough or Charles [Leclerc] decides he might want to move on, Ollie is there in pole position to take that seat.
“And so far, you’d have to say he’s done a great job of it.”
Bearman will be looking to bounce back from his frightening accident in Japan as F1 returns in Miami this weekend.
Originally published by motorsportweek.com —
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