The Frenchman says that the 18-year-old ought to focus on his F2 programme and take advantage of the Haas FP1 operating that he has lined up, after he efficiently stood in for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia.
Ferrari has no vacancies for the fast future as Charles Leclerc’s contract was lately prolonged, whereas Lewis Hamilton will be a part of from Mercedes for 2025 on a multi-year deal.
Ferrari can doubtlessly place Bearman elsewhere till it has a vacant seat, with Haas the plain alternative, though crew principal Ayao Komatsu has confused that he’s proud of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.
When requested if Bearman may ultimately comply with in Hamilton’s footsteps as a Briton at Ferrari, Vasseur made it clear that it’s too early for such options, particularly on condition that the seven-time world champion hasn’t even began.
“Do not begin to talk about after Lewis Hamilton, Lewis remains to be not within the crew!” he mentioned when requested about Bearman’s possibilities after his spectacular drive to seventh in Jeddah.
“But it surely’s an excellent sign for Ollie for certain, it is an essential milestone. In Melbourne and Imola he will probably be again on the F2 undertaking, and an important problem for Ollie will probably be this one.
“He’ll begin quickly the FP1 classes with Haas, and this will probably be essential additionally for us to offer him expertise and mileage within the automotive. However for certain with this one [Jeddah] he has the outcome within the pocket already.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24 battles with Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Bearman will probably be endeavor an prolonged programme of FP1 classes for Haas with outings at Imola, Barcelona, Silverstone, Hungary, Mexico Metropolis and Abu Dhabi.
Vasseur confused that he has to proceed to study and present enchancment.
“You must contemplate Jeddah is a step, not the ultimate goal,” he mentioned. “He did effectively this weekend, however he may have different challenges in entrance of him sooner or later with F2.
“He’ll do a few FP1s with us and Haas throughout the season and all of you, together with me, in six months’ time we cannot communicate any extra about Jeddah, we’ll talk about Mexico, Brazil [sic], and if he is doing effectively or not.
“And each single day will probably be a brand new problem. However for certain, if he is holding the identical strategy as at the moment, it’ll go effectively.”
Bearman landed the Jeddah drive as a result of he was the designated Ferrari reserve for the weekend, regardless of being busy along with his personal F2 commitments. That can also be the case for the upcoming Australian GP.
Ferrari didn’t preserve its choices open by having both Antonio Giovinazzi or Robert Shwartzman on standby in Jeddah as a result of, with a busy 24-race F1 calendar and each males additionally dedicated to the WEC and required for Maranello sim work, it is smart to share out reserve duties and reap the benefits of the F2 weekends when Bearman will probably be current.
“I took the choice within the winter as a result of I discovered it a bit silly final yr to ask Antonio to do 22 or 24 races when he was doing in parallel the LMH programme,” mentioned Vasseur when requested by Motorsport.com in regards to the schedule.
“The LMH is kind of essential for us – it is an enormous problem – and I do not wish to ask Antonio or Shwartzman to journey with us and to do F1 the week after Qatar, and a race in between.
“It is why we determined when Ollie’s with us, he would be the reserve, and when he is not with us, he’ll be within the sim.”
Giovinazzi’s first 2024 look as F1 reserve will probably be on the Japanese GP.
