Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc join Ferrari reserve and development roster

Ferrari has announced that Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc are set to join the Italian team’s Reserve and Development Driver roster for the 2024 season. 

The Italian team announced that Bearman, current Scuderia Ferrari Academy Driver and F2 driver, will take on the role of reserve driver for the upcoming Formula 1 season, sharing duties with Antonio Giovanazzi and Robert Shwartzman who are both competing in the WEC this season with the Ferrari 499 P Hypercar.

Bearman’s new role means that should either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz become unavailable, a chance for a Formula 1 debut could be on the cards for the 18-year-old in 2024.

Bearman took part in the Abu Dhabi Post-Season Testing with Haas in 2023. Image: Zak Mauger / LAT Images.

The Brit will continue to race for Prema Racing in F2, having finished P6 in the 2023 Championship.

As for the youngest Leclerc brother, Arthur will once again be donning the prancing horse logo after parting ways as an Academy Driver at the end of 2023. 

Leclerc will be joining Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon as a Development Driver for the Maranello-based squad in 2024.

The 23-year-old will be responsible for “working in the simulator, on car development, set-up work and updates introduced during the season”, all with the hope of bringing his older brother, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz success across the 2024 campaign.

Arthur Leclerc will work with his brother, Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2024. Image: Carl Bingham / LAT Images.

With 2023 being Leclerc’s final season in F2, the Monegasque will be taking on another new challenge in the form of racing in the Italian GT championship in a Scuderia Baldini 27. 

Leclerc and Bearman are no stranger to working with one another, being former teammates from their days in F3 with Prema Racing in 2021 and 2022.

Though in differing roles, the duo will begin their duties as early as next week with the team conducting a three-day Pirelli test session at the Barcalona-Catalunya Circuit.

Bearman and Leclerc were Prema Racing teammates in their F3 days. Image: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images.

Across the 29th and 30th of January, Ferrari’s full-time drivers will take to the track in last year’s SF23, kickstarting their tests for the sport’s tyre supplier.

On the 29th, Leclerc will rack up his first-ever miles in an F1 car, jumping in the cockpit of the 2022 F1-75 for the day, alongside his brother.

As for Bearman, this won’t be the 18-year-old’s first time in the cockpit of an F1 car.

The Formula 2 driver took part in two practice sessions last year, running in FP1 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Haas, as well as the young driver tests that followed the season finale, and testing days in the SF-21 at Fiorano over the course of the year.

Bearman will have the track to himself on the 31st, also set to run in the F1-75 on Wednesday.

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