Kevin Magnussen will not be behind the wheel of his Haas on the opening day of the São Paulo Grand Prix – the Danish driver has reported in sick and will be replaced by reserve driver Oliver Bearman. For the young Brit, this marks the third time this year that he has been called upon to replace a driver. On Friday, he will take on at least the first free practice and the sprint shootout.
“Kevin Magnussen will not participate in the first sessions for the São Paulo Grand Prix on Friday,” Haas announced on social media this afternoon. The 32-year-old Dane is suffering from illness and does not feel fit enough to get in the car. “Reserve driver Oliver Bearman will take over Magnussen’s duties,” the message continued. “The team wishes Kevin a speedy recovery and will provide more information in due course.”
Champion Substitute
Oliver Bearman is gradually becoming a familiar face in the paddock. In Azerbaijan, he replaced Kevin Magnussen for an entire weekend due to the latter’s racing ban. At the start of the season, he also stepped in for Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who was suffering from appendicitis at the time. During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Bearman finished in seventh place. Thanks to his successful stand-ins, he currently ranks seventeenth in the championship.
The 19-year-old Brit, who competes in Formula 2 for PREMA, has already signed a contract with Haas for the upcoming season. As a result, he has already driven several free practice sessions for the team this year. Just last week, he drove a training session for Ferrari, where he is also still active as a reserve driver.
