With just a few hours to go until the start of the race weekend at Interlagos, Haas surprised everyone announcing that Kevin Magnussen will not be on track today due to a sudden illness: Oliver Bearman, already confirmed as the race driver for the 2025 season, will take his place for the Friday sessions in Brazil. An unexpected change, in a weekend that promises to be intense and strategic, with the Sprint format leaving little time to adapt.
A new opportunity for Bearman, the talent of the Ferrari Academy
For Bearman, this is the third time this season he's had to respond to an emergency call. At just 18 years old, the young Briton has already found himself behind the wheel of a Ferrari in Saudi Arabia replacing Carlos Sainz, and then a Haas in Azerbaijan, when Magnussen was forced to miss the weekend due to disqualification. On both occasions, Bearman demonstrated solidity and talent, even managing to get seven points overall for the team. Now, with a Sprint perspective, he will have the opportunity to gather even more valuable experience, in a weekend that immediately tests without margin for error.
The Sprint Format and the Growth Opportunity
With this afternoon's Sprint Qualifying, followed by tomorrow's Sprint Race, Bearman will be called upon to give his all right from the start. This format is unforgiving and leaves no room for gradual adaptation: just one free practice session, then straight away the direct comparison on the track. If Magnussen were to return tomorrow, he could still take part in qualifying for Sunday's race in Brazil, but in the meantime the team is relying on Bearman for the first challenges.
The team wanted to publicly express their wishes for a speedy recovery for Magnussen, while at the same time showing confidence in the young Bearman's abilities:
“Haas driver Kevin Magnussen will not take part in the on-track action on Friday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after suffering from illness. Official reserve driver Oliver Bearman will assume driving duties. The team wishes Kevin a speedy recovery and will provide further updates in due course,” Haas said in a statement.

Fanta F1: Who will risk betting on Bearman?
With Bearman in action for today, the lineups of the Fantasy F1 could see some interesting changes if Magnussen is still not fit for the rest of the weekend. Fans will have to decide whether to bank on the emerging talent of Bearman while they wait to find out if Magnussen will be there or whether they will look elsewhere as the young British driver continues to rack up the miles and show his potential.
Bearman has already shown that he can compete at a high level and now, one step away from the season that will officially see him on the grid, this opportunity could represent a further springboard for him – and perhaps a winning bet for some F1 Fanta fans.