Ferrari are yet to decide who their official reserve driver will be throughout the 2025 Formula 1 season after Oliver Bearman received a full-time promotion to the sport.
It’s unlikely that they will need anyone to fill in for Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc, but such instances do occur every now and then.
Ferrari had to find cover for Carlos Sainz who fell ill with appendicitis at last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, giving Bearman a platform to showcase his talents.
It was enough to convince Haas that he deserved a seat, after becoming the Scuderia’s youngest-ever points scorer in Formula 1.
Robert Shwartzman also left Ferrari’s stable to compete for PREMA in IndyCar, leaving the team short on backup drivers.
Hamilton who has mastered Ayrton Senna’s technique, has lots of experience and insight to offer any driver that is willing to work closely with the team, making any reserve role a desirable vacancy.
Ferrari could make surprise signing of Dino Beganovic as reserve F1 driver
Ferrari missed out on the constructors’ championship by just 14 points last season, extending their title drought to 17 years.
Conducting simulator and setup work will be crucial for the team to take that extra step forward during closely fought race weekends.
With a lot of experience around the grid such as Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes already snapped up into similar roles, there isn’t much left to shop around for.
READ MORE: Ferrari are addressing one of Lewis Hamilton’s key Mercedes weaknesses during Barcelona test
That’s why according to a report from Autoracer.it, the team could be turning to young Swedish star Dino Beganovic as a reserve driver.
He’s set to compete in Formula 2 with Hitech this year and finished inside the top 10 in each of his first four races in the category last season.
His first taste of red machinery will come at Barcelona this week when he tests the SF-23 alongside Antonio Giovinazzi – a man with proven experience.
Why picking the right reserve driver is an important step for Ferrari’s 2025 F1 season
Charles Leclerc has been warned to be careful around Hamilton’s Ferrari situation as the Brit has already shown signs of a good relationship with President John Elkann.
All three will need to work together in harmony if they want to lead the Italian outfit back to the sort of success that they enjoyed in the early 2000s.
Ferrari are already addressing Hamilton’s Mercedes weaknesses at Barcelona this week as they attempt to build the foundations for a good season.
READ MORE: F1 fans are ‘reignited’ by Ferrari’s new Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc promotion
A reserve driver is going to be a big part of their operation and finding a suitable candidate is no easy task. Beganovic has a lot to learn but his raw talent could be of use to the prancing horse.
Two sixth-place finishes in Formula 3 including two victories last season show that he has the potential to be a star, but needs help to bring some more consistency to the track.
Ferrari’s talented engineers are the perfect match for him as he looks to improve and find a way onto the Formula 1 grid.
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