Ferrari yet to release Bearman to Haas for Baku

Sep.3 (GMM) Ferrari is not yet ready to confirm that it will release its reserve driver for another one-off Formula 1 race.

Kevin Magnussen’s clash with Pierre Gasly at Monza tipped the Haas driver over the 12-penalty point limit on his super license – resulting in an automatic one-race ban for Baku.

Team boss Ayao Komatsu confirmed that Haas will not appeal.

“We accept the punishment,” he said.

Magnussen is not being retained by the small American team beyond 2024, but Komatsu also confirmed that he is not unhappy with the 31-year-old’s driving.

“Kevin’s drive when he realised he had to open a ten second gap to (Alex) Albon was fantastic,” said the Japanese. “Just fantastic.

“As a team we actually made a mistake with the strategy. We should never have put Kev in that situation behind Gasly. There was no reason not to box one lap earlier.

“Suddenly he was close to Gasly and tried to overtake – then the collision and ten-second penalty. Totally unnecessary on our side, right?” Komatsu added.

“Kev fights hard, he fights aggressively, and in some cases where there were penalties he was maybe a little too aggressive. But this time he tried to fight hard and just locked a wheel and pushed Gasly off the track. So he got a penalty and I accept it.”

It makes total sense that Haas will put Oliver Bearman, its confirmed full-time rookie for 2025, in Magnussen’s car for the Azerbaijan GP.

The problem is that Briton Bearman, 19, would have to miss a round of the Formula 2 championship, although it is true that he is not a title contender.

A bigger problem is that the move would deprive Ferrari of the Italian team’s full-time reserve driver.

When asked if he is open to releasing Bearman to Haas for Baku, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur answered on Sunday: “Let me focus on Ferrari tonight, as we have just won a race.

“I’ll just have to think about it,” the Frenchman added. “I didn’t even know Kevin was out (for Azerbaijan).”

As for Magnussen, he has expressed a desire to race in another series – like WEC or Indycar – next year if he is not able to keep his F1 race career alive.

However, Ekstra Bladet newspaper reports that Haas owner Gene Haas may actually be offering Magnussen a full-time non-racing role at the team for 2025.

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