F1 Reserve Drivers 2024: Who is next man up for Ferrari, Mercedes and co?
F1 Reserve Drivers 2024: Who is next man up for Ferrari, Mercedes and co?
F1's next generation of stars is on standby. We explore the reserve drivers who could be called upon throughout the record-breaking 24-race season.
The 2024 season faced an early twist with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz sidelined in the second round of the season in Saudi Arabia due to appendicitis, requiring him to undergo surgery. Stepping up to replace Sainz was the Scuderia's reserve driver, Oliver Bearman, who is destined to join the F1 grid next year with Haas on a multi-year contract.
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Bearman's surprise debut throws the spotlight on the crucial role reserve drivers play in F1, serving as the first line of defence when race seats become unexpectedly vacant.
This season's reserve pool boasts a mix of experience and raw talent. Teams like Mercedes have opted for a two-pronged approach, with Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary Michael, joining forces with rising star Frederik Vesti.
Meanwhile, Red Bull continues their focus on youth development with Liam Lawson, who impressed during his substitute appearances for AlphaTauri (now Visa Cash App RB) last year.
Now, let's take a look at the reserve drivers for each team on the grid.
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Who are the F1 reserve drivers in 2024?
Red Bull & Visa Cash App RB
Liam Lawson remains a reserve driver for both the Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB teams. The New Zealand driver impressed in 2023 when he stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB, consistently outperformed teammate Yuki Tsunoda, and even scored points during his stint.
Despite this strong showing, the team ultimately opted to retain Tsunoda and Ricciardo for the 2024 season. Now Lawson remains highly regarded and ready to step up if needed.
At this weekend's British Grand Prix, F2 driver Isack Hadjar will replace Sergio Perez in the RB20 during FP1 for Red Bull.
The Scuderia bolsters their reserve options with a trio of drivers, with Oliver Bearman, Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman all providing a strong pool of talent for the Italian team.
Mercedes
After leaving Haas at the end of 2022, Mick Schumacher found a new home at Mercedes as a reserve driver for the 2023 season. He carries on that role this year, with Frederik Vesti, who impressed with a second-place finish in last year's Formula 2 Championship with PREMA Racing, joining him in the reserve role.
Alpine
After a disappointing slide to sixth place in the 2023 constructors' championship, Alpine's woes continued with a dismal performance in the season opener of 2024. This poor showing led to the resignations of both Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer.
Despite the shakeup, young Australian talent Jack Doohan remained as a reserve driver for Alpine in 2024, supporting the French pairing of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Doohan will drive for the team in FP1 at the British Grand Prix, replacing Gasly.
Aston Martin
2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovic was once again recruited as a reserve driver behind Lance Stroll and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
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IndyCar driver Alex Palou fills the role of reserve driver at McLaren behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, joined by Le Mans winner Ryo Hirakawa.
Stake F1
Theo Pourchaire, the 2023 F2 champion, joins the Stake F1 team as a reserve driver alongside Zane Maloney, the 2022 Formula 3 Rookie of the Year. Both youngsters are on the F1 radar and could be future contenders for a full-time seat.
Haas
Haas employed Pietro Fittipaldi as a reserve driver in 2022, and the Brazilian once again filled the role behind Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in 2024, sharing duties with Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, who is set to join the F1 grid next year with the American team on a multi-year contract.
The American outfit has also tapped Bearman for six practice sessions throughout the 2024 season, with the British Grand Prix marking his third FP1 outing.
Williams are the only team that have not announced a reserve for 2024. In previous years, Williams have been able to call on the Mercedes reserve pool if needed.
However, the team's Driver Academy racer Franco Colapinto will make his F1 race weekend debut when he drives Logan Sargeant's car at Silverstone in FP1.
Team | Reserve Driver(s) |
---|---|
Red Bull | Liam Lawson |
Mercedes | Mick Schumacher, Frederik Vesti |
Ferrari | Oliver Bearman, Antonio Giovinazzi, Robert Shwartzman |
McLaren | Ryo Hirakawa, Pato O'Ward |
Aston Martin | Felipe Drugovich |
Alpine | Jack Doohan |
Haas | Pietro Fittipaldi, Oliver Bearman |
Stake F1 Team | Theo Pourchaire, Zane Maloney |
Visa Cash App RB | Liam Lawson |
Williams | TBC |
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F1 Race Calendar 2024
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
-
GP JAPAN
5 - 7 Apr
Max Verstappen
-
GP CHINA
19 - 21 Apr
Max Verstappen
-
GP USA
3 - 5 May
Lando Norris
-
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
Max Verstappen
-
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
Charles Leclerc
-
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
George Russell
-
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
Lewis Hamilton
- GP HUNGARY 19 - 21 Jul
- GP BELGIUM 26 - 28 Jul
- GP NETHERLANDS 23 - 25 Aug
- GP ITALY 30 Aug - 1 Sep
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
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