The 18-year-old recently made his F1 debut at the Mexican Grand Prix, where he completed Free Practice 1 for Haas instead of Kevin Magnussen.

Haas fielded Bearman as part of the mandatory requirement for each team to use a rookie in two FP1 sessions.

He did extremely well in the session and set the 15th quickest time, ahead of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

Of the five rookies who were fielded in FP1 as part of the mandatory requirement, Bearman was the fastest by almost seven-tenths of a second, highlighting his talent.

What’s even more remarkable is that he was just over three-tenths slower than Nico Hulkenberg and just over a tenth slower than F1’s only full-time rookie this season Logan Sargeant.

Sargeant’s seat is currently the only one yet to be confirmed for 2024; however, the expectation is that Williams will give the American a second season.

As for Bearman, his best chance at making the jump to the F1 grid will come in 2025, as there are currently two seats available at Ferrari and two available at Haas, who are a customer team of the Americans.

Two seats are also available at Sauber, although it’s pondered whether Audi will start to take some control over their driver line-up for 2025 ahead of their arrival in 2026.

Ferrari are clearly very fond of Bearman and view him incredibly highly, given that he was given the FP1 opportunity.

Bearman is planning on racing in F2 next year in what’ll be his second campaign in the feeder series, ahead of hopefully making the step into F1 the following year.

He’s fully focused on winning the F2 championship in 2024, something which’ll make him a favourable option for any F1 team in 2025.

Despite 2023 being his rookie F2 campaign, the Briton is already a four-time F2 race winner for Prema and sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

READ: Charles Leclerc avoids post-race penalty

He’ll be hoping to add to his win tally next season and reach his “clear” goal.

“I won’t be in F1 next year, I will be in F2 again, it’s quite sure,” Bearman said to Sky Sports. “And the goal is clear, second year in F2, I have to win it.

“Hopefully, I can do enough job to finish in this paddock one day. F1 is the next step but it’s a bit more difficult than the previous ones.”

The post Ferrari driver insists he won’t be in F1 in 2024 appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

To add to the 23-year-old’s woes, it is all but certain that he won’t be retained by the Haas F1 Team for 2023, leaving Schumacher with just two realistic options.

If Schumacher isn’t signed by the Alpine F1 Team or Williams Racing, then the German driver will be looking for a seat in a different championship, after the German fell behind IndyCar driver Colton Herta in the running for a potentially vacant seat at Scuderia AlphaTauri.

The Haas driver is being backed by current Alpine driver Esteban Ocon to move to the French side, to form what could be an exciting young line-up.

READ: Toto Wolff reacts to Audi’s ‘cheeky’ dig at Mercedes

Haas hasn’t officially said that they won’t be resigning Schumacher; however, many in the paddock have come to the understanding that the German won’t be with the American team next year.

He is set to be replaced by former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi, who will actually be taking part in two FP1 sessions for the team.

Losing Schumacher would be a great loss to Formula 1, not only with the Haas driver being the 2020 F2 World Champion, but also for being the son of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher.

Many still believe he’ll be in the paddock next season; however, if he isn’t then it could see a grid without a representative from Germany, unless Alpine sign Nico Hulkenberg.

Schumacher has only been able to talk to other non-Ferrari related teams due to his FDA contract not being extended, making him a free agent.

The German joined the FDA in 2019, following on from winning the 2018 European F3 Championship, joining the talented likes of Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman and Enzo Fittipaldi.

It was questioned if it had been done purely because of his surname; however, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto insisted that he’d been signed due to his “talent”.

“For someone like me who has known him from birth, there’s no doubt that welcoming Mick into Ferrari has a special emotional meaning, but we have chosen him for his talent and the human and professional qualities that have already distinguished him despite his young age,” Binotto said at the time.

The young German went onto drive an F1 car for the first time in April 2019, where he drove for both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo at Bahrain.

He spent 2019 and 2020 racing for the highly successful Prema F2 Team, whilst receiving support from Ferrari.

After winning the series in 2020, he was signed by Haas and has remained with the side since, with his best result having come this season in Austria where he finished sixth.

Tensions have been building between Schumacher and the team, especially with team principal Guenther Steiner.

The Haas boss spoke negatively in public about Schumacher after he crashed very heavily for the second time this season in Monaco.

READ: Ex-Daniel Ricciardo team-mate speaks out as he’s linked to Haas and Williams

The German crashed heavily in Saudi Arabia and then in Monaco, resulting in his car splitting in half on both occasions.

Mistakes have seen his links with a potential seat with Ferrari in the future diminish, especially with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz under multi-year contracts.

The coming weeks will hopefully give some answers as to where we might see Schumacher next season, whether that be in F1 or somewhere else.

The post Mick Schumacher set to lose Haas seat next year appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The German, who won the 2020 Formula 2 Championship, was signed by Haas for 2021 and he remains affiliated with Ferrari, who helped him land the seat.

READ: IndyCar Boss Suggests Red Bull Forced Albon To Be Verstappen’s ‘Bridesmaid’

With the American racing outfit having the least competitive car on the grid this year, Schumacher is yet to score a point in the pinnacle of motorsport, but he has comprehensively outpaced his fellow rookie team-mate, Nikita Mazepin.

Commenting on Schumacher’s season thus far, Binotto said the priority is ensuring he is learning and gradually making progress.

“Mick in his very first year in F1 driving for Haas, I think we said at the start of the season that the objective for him was first no pressure, but to make sure that he is learning,” Binotto said.

“So 2021 has to be for him an important year in terms of learning. And I think if we look at that objective he is doing well.

“I think Mick since the start of the season is doing well, he is learning, he is progressing. Obviously a few mistakes, but that’s part of the learning process. Overall in terms of balance so far, we can be happy.

“What’s important for him is to continue developing and progressing in the second half. But I’m confident he can do that,” he added.

READ: 2021 Japanese GP Cancelled Over COVID-19 Concerns

Binotto made it clear in December that their ultimate goal is for Schumacher to race with Ferrari in Formula 1, and he speculated this could happen as soon as 2023.

“The Ferrari Driver Academy was not created to raise Formula 1 drivers, but the next driver for Ferrari,” the Italian said.

“Today it is too early to decide but there are the premises to see Mick in red in 2023.” 

Follow us on Google News to never miss an F1 story!

The post Ferrari Boss Gives Verdict On Mick Schumacher appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Schumacher, who won the 2020 Formula Two title, was a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy during his junior racing career and he was linked with both of Ferrari’s customer teams (namely Haas and Alfa Romeo) last season.

READ: Hamilton Says Not Much He Can Do About Verstappen ‘Cruising Ahead’

He was ultimately signed by Haas, but with the American racing outfit having the slowest car on the F1 grid this season, it has been rumoured that he is looking for a move at the end of 2021.

Commenting on the prospect of Schumacher joining Alfa Romeo in 2022, Vasseur didn’t rule out such a move but indicated that there was nothing in the pipeline at this stage.

“It is far too early to discuss this,” Vasseur said.

“We are working together, we have tonnes of races in a row over the last two or three months and I think we [will] discuss together in the last part of the season, not before.”

Continuing, Vasseur said he believes that having some uncertainty about the team’s driver line-up going forward is beneficial for the team, as it increases the pressure on its existing drivers to perform and deliver results.

READ: Horner Admits Red Bull’s ‘Pressured Environment’ Played Part In Gasly & Albon’s Downfall

“To keep the system under pressure is always a good thing,” the Alfa Romeo team boss said.

“I don’t want to commit for a long time, I don’t want to say ‘Okay guys, you can relax and blah blah’. We have to keep everybody under pressure.

“F1 is all about pressure and we have to keep it like this. We don’t know what could happen around us, in the junior series and in the top of the field and so on and we don’t want to take this kind of commitment today.

“We know the grid will be fulfilled by the top, Mr Wolff will make his own decision and then Mr Horner and then at one stage it will come to us.

“We are not in a rush to make this kind of decision but things are moving and for sure we have a question mark around Kimi, but Antonio is improving,” he concluded.

Follow us on Google News to never miss an F1 story!

The post Vasseur Addresses Mick Schumacher’s Rumoured Move To Alfa Romeo appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Schumacher was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) during his junior racing career, and he continues to be affiliated with the Scuderia.

READ: Charles Leclerc Weighs In On Driver Salary Cap, Sprint Races

This affords him certain privileges, such as additional testing days with Ferrari – such as the Fiorano test he took part in last week – and access to the Scuderia’s state-of-the-art F1 simulator.

Mazepin has said these privileges give Schumacher the advantage over him.

“We don’t have a simulator in our team, so we have to use simulators that most professional drivers have at home,” Mazepin said.

“As I am not a member of that youth team [the FDA] I don’t have such a privilege. I’ll prepare for Portimao here in Moscow.”

It should be noted that the young Russian’s career is bankrolled by his billionaire father, Dmitry Mazepin, and this affords him many privileges that other drivers don’t get.

READ: George Russell: I Have Left ‘Bitter’ 2020 Sakhir GP In The Past

For instance, due to his strong financial banking, Mazepin has been able to take part in an elaborate testing programme with the Mercedes F1 Team.

In December, following the Haas F1 Team announcing Schumacher as a driver for 2021, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said the young German could race with them as early as 2023. 

“The Ferrari Driver Academy was not created to raise Formula 1 drivers, but the next driver for Ferrari,” Binotto said.

“Today it is too early to decide but there are the premises to see Mick in red in 2023.”

Follow us on Google News to never miss an F1 story!

The post Nikita Mazepin Claims Ferrari Ties Give Mick Schumacher An Advantage appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

READ: Nico Rosberg Urges Fans & Media To Go Easy On Mick Schumacher

The youngsters will both drive for the Haas F1 Team in 2021, with them being the only all-rookie driver line-up on the grid.

Schumacher won the 2020 Formula Two Championship, while Mazepin finished fifth – and most F1 fans are expecting the young German to come out on top against his Haas team-mate.

However, Ralf Schumacher believes Mazepin could give him a hard time in his debut season.

READ: Honda Say New Power Unit Will ‘Exceed’ 2020 Mercedes Engine

“I still say Mazepin, along with the great support of his father, also has a certain amount of talent and very good preparation,” Ralf said this week.

“He is anything but easy to iron out in the team.”

Continuing, he stressed that Mick’s success in the junior categories don’t mean anything in Formula One and he will be judged solely on his F1 performances.

“The question is which rookie will get around the track faster now,” he said.

“He [Mick] will have found his way around the team now, but it’s a process that takes a long time. We hope Mick can master this task.”

Schumacher, who raced in junior series with the support of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA), could race with the Scuderia in Formula One as early as 2023, according to Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

“I’m really expecting him to prove how fast he is in an F1 context, both in qualifying and the race, to prove he is very strong in race pace and consistent in terms of bringing the car home in a good position,” Binotto said in December.

READ: Lewis Hamilton Slams Vatican Over ‘Unacceptable’ Ban On Blessing Same-Sex Unions

“The Ferrari Driver Academy was not created to raise Formula 1 drivers, but the next driver for Ferrari. Today it is too early to decide but there are the premises to see Mick in red in 2023.”

The post Ralf Warns Mick Schumacher Won’t Have It Easy Against Mazepin appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

READ: Alpine Boss Has No Doubt About Alonso’s Motivation As He Returns To F1

Nico, who himself is the son of 1982 F1 World Champion Keke Rosberg, said he believes Mick Schumacher’s debut season will be “10 times more difficult” than that of any other son of an ex-F1 driver.

“It’s not easy to be the ‘son of,’” Rosberg said this week.

“And with Mick it’s again 10 times more difficult because Michael’s days weren’t that long ago and he was even more successful.”

READ: McLaren Curious To See If Other Teams Will Copy Their New Diffuser

Continuing, he suggested the media and fans should manage their expectations and go easy on Mick, as it often takes time to achieve success in Formula One.

“The media attention will be great, initially probably even greater than that of Lewis Hamilton. 

“I hope Mick can put that aside and concentrate well on his job – otherwise it takes away a lot of the fun.  

“The media won’t give him time, but he will have to take it for himself. It takes time and patience.

“After all, I had to wait seven years to win my first race and 11 years to win the title. You have to consider that if you want to rate Mick this year.”

Mick has tended to need a year to settle into a new racing series before gunning for the Championship in his second season.

Most recently, this was the case for him in Formula Two, with him winning the title in his second F2 campaign, ahead of Callum Ilott.

Despite Rosberg and other pundits saying that Mick will face extra pressure because of his father’s legacy, the young German said it serves as a “boost” and gives him extra motivation to succeed in motorsport.

“I’ve never said it was pressure, I don’t think I’ll ever say it,” he said.

“I’m very happy to carry that surname and very happy to carry that name back into F1.

“I’m very proud of it, I’m happy to have it. It’s like a boost for me and it gives me motivation every single day to work as much as I can and as hard I can,” Schumacher emphasised.

READ: ‘We Don’t Have Answers’: Mercedes Admit They’re Struggling Ahead Of Bahrain GP

Mick will partner Nikita Mazepin at the Haas F1 Team this upcoming season – and although the team is expected to be towards the back of the field, fans will be eager to see who comes out on top at the American racing outfit.

The post Nico Rosberg Urges Fans & Media To Go Easy On Mick Schumacher appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Fittipaldi, grandson of double F1 Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, will compete in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship with Andretti Autosport and RP Motorsport.

READ: Haas Team Principal Promises To ‘Protect’ Mick Schumacher From The Media

As a result of this move, he will no longer have ties to Scuderia Ferrari via its young driver programme.

Commenting on the switch, Fittipaldi said: “I am very happy to announce that I will be racing in the Indy Pro 2000 series for Andretti/RP.

“With the move to the USA, I can no longer continue in the Ferrari Driver Academy. I have no words to say how grateful I am for all the support the FDA has provided me.

“I take all this learning with me and I want to thank each of the Ferrari members for helping me to develop as a driver and as a person!

“Full push in 2021! I am sure this is a step forward to reaching my goal of racing in F1 and IndyCar!” he added.

In a subsequent interview, the 19-year-old emphasised that he is still ultimately aiming to compete in Formula One despite moving to the US for the time being.

“I am very happy to announce my trip to the United States in a championship as competitive as the Indy Pro 2000, which is one of the main categories on the already established path of ‘Road to Indy’.

“But I want to make it clear that I still dream of Formula 1 and, as we saw with the career of my brother Pietro and drivers like Michael Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve, Sebastian Bourdais and many others in the past, there are many paths to reach there,” he concluded.

READ: Mercedes Insider Says ‘Many People Owe Lewis An Apology For Questioning Him’

The post Enzo Fittipaldi Ditches Ferrari For Indy Pro 2000 Move appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The F1 community is looking forward to seeing the Schumacher name back in the pinnacle of motorsport in less than two months’ time, but some pundits have tried to manage expectations, stressing that Mick Schumacher needed a season to get settled into a new racing series before showing his talent the following year.

READ: Aston Martin Boss Believes Stroll Could Beat Vettel In 2021

Speaking ahead of Schumacher’s debut season, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said both he and his team-mate, Nikita Mazepin, have already proven their talent in feeder series.

“Both have already proven their talent, but both are still very young, you should never forget that,” Steiner told F1-Insider.com.

“That means you also have to allow them to make mistakes. They should learn from them. 2021 will be a year of preparation for all of us for 2022, when we want to attack and finish in the top five of the Constructors’ Championship.

“That’s why we’re already concentrating on next year’s car in the wind tunnel,” he added.

Continuing, Steiner vowed to “protect” Mick Schumacher from the media and said he is certain that he will succeed in Formula One. 

“The expectation from the media will be extreme because he is the son of the record World Champion,” he said.

“But you can’t expect Mick to win seven titles as well. I will protect him when it comes down to it. Because I am convinced that he will succeed.

“You just have to give him the necessary time. The same goes for Nikita Mazepin.”

READ: Confirmed: Lewis Hamilton Agrees 1-Year Extension With Mercedes

The post Haas Team Principal Promises To ‘Protect’ Mick Schumacher From The Media appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Alesi will race in Japan next season after failing to secure the funding required for another season in Formula Two, despite his father’s best efforts.

READ: Giovinazzi ‘Thought There Would Be A Chance’ To Join Ferrari In 2021

In a recent interview, Jean Alesi hit out at the need to be a “billionaire” to fund a young driver’s racing career and help them make it to F1.

“He will race almost every weekend [in Japan], which is not possible in Europe anymore unless you pay a lot of money,” he said in an interview with Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“Nowadays you have to be a billionaire and buy a team, otherwise you will not end up in the Formula 1 world.

“The seats are blocked by the drivers of Vasseur and Wolff.”

Continuing, he noted that Ferrari can provide a lifeline to some young talents via its young driver programme, and he said he believes Mick Schumacher, who will race with Haas in 2021, wouldn’t have made it to F1 without their backing.

“Fortunately there is Ferrari, who supply engines to some F1 teams so they can also supply drivers.

“Mick Schumacher got his seat in Formula 1 also with his Formula 2 title, but without the support of Maranello it would not have been possible.”

In a separate interview, he raised similar concerns about motorsport and its financial demands.

“If you look in our part of the world in Europe, nothing is a meritocracy,” he said.

“You just need to pay and pay and pay.

“I think that’s crazy, it’s the only sport in the world where you have to pay to make your show. I think in Japan it seems much more fair.”

READ: 84% Of F1 Fans Believe Mercedes Should Drop Lewis Hamilton, Sign Russell

The post Mick Schumacher Wouldn’t Have Made It To F1 Without Ferrari’s Help – Alesi appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.