Haas arrived in Brazil for this weekend’s Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix on a high note. Thanks to a double-points result in the F1 Sprint Race at the United States Grand Prix, along with another double-points result from Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg at last weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, the team has moved into sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
However, Magnussen’s status for this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix is now in doubt.
The team announced on Friday that Magnussen will miss driving duties on Friday, due to illness. Reserve driver Oliver Bearman will step into Magnussen’s car:
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen will not participate in Friday’s track running at the São Paulo Grand Prix after suffering with sickness.
Official reserve driver Oliver Bearman will take over driving duties. The team wishes Kevin a quick recovery and will provide a… pic.twitter.com/2ukuJXNmGe
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) November 1, 2024
The team made an official request to the FIA, F1’s governing body, for Bearman to step into Magnussen’s seat “until further notice,” and their request was approved:
Bearman handling driving duties on Friday at a minimum means that Bearman will drive in the only practice session of the week, as well as qualifying for the F1 Sprint Race which takes place later in the day on Friday. The F1 Sprint Race itself takes place on Saturday.
It is unclear if Magnussen will return to the car this weekend. With Bearman handling qualifying for the F1 Sprint Race on Friday, Magnussen could theoretically return to the car later in the day Saturday to handle qualifying for the Grand Prix, with Bearman driving in the F1 Sprint Race. But that would mean the veteran driver slides into the VF-24 without any practice time at Interlagos.
Bearman, who will drive for Haas full-time next season, has made two substitute appearances this season. The first came back at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this season when he stepped into the SF-24 at Ferrari for Carlos Sainz Jr., who required surgery for appendicitis the week of that race. Bearman delivered a stunning seventh-place finish in his F1 debut.
Bearman also drove in place of Magnussen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the veteran driver served a one-race penalty ban. The supersub produced another points finish, this time for Haas, finishing tenth.
