A rookie star has been revealed as the replacement for a Formula 1-bound driver ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Whilst F1's last outing at Monza was the dream scenario for Charles Leclerc, the outcome could not have been more different for Haas star Kevin Magnussen.
Following contact with Pierre Gasly, the Dane was awarded a 10-second time penalty, and two points were added to his Super Licence meaning he has now reached the maximum 12 penalty points for a 12-month period, resulting in a one-race ban.
Haas have chosen Ollie Bearman to replace Magnussen for the Azerbaijan GP, with the British star joining the team full-time in 2025. It means that there will be four British drivers lining up on the grid in Baku.
Who will replace Ollie Bearman in Formula 2?
Bearman’s promotion to F1 for the weekend means that his Prema seat in F2 will be vacant, with Formula 3 star Gabriele Mini now being confirmed to be stepping up to race alongside Kimi Antonelli.
Mini competed with Prema in this year's F3 season, where he finished second in the championship, after a heartbreaking weekend at Monza.
The Italian was denied the title during the final race when his championship rival, Leonardo Fornaroli, passed Christian Mansell on the last-corner and claimed second place, denying Mini the title.
However, the 19-year-old was disqualified from the feature race for running tyre pressures that were below the minimum prescribed levels in a further blow to the youngster.
"[I’m] very happy to be joining Prema Racing for the FIA Formula 2 event at Baku," Mini said in response to his promotion.
"We had a strong season in 2024, and we have been fighting for the title until the last corner.
"Formula 2 is the main option for 2025 so it’s also very important to join early at Baku. It’s a good opportunity for me to learn with the new car and series."