What are the options for Haas after Hulkenberg’s departure?

Today it was announced that Nico Hülkenberg will leave the Haas team after this season. The German will switch to Sauber, which will be Audi’s factory team from 2026. Haas now has to look for a successor, while the future of Kevin Magnussen is also not yet certain. What are the options for the American team?

Oliver Bearman

The big favorite to succeed Hülkenberg is Oliver Bearman. The 18-year-old Briton is attached to Haas as a reserve driver and he is also part of Ferrari’s training team. He made his debut with the Italian racing team earlier this year out of nowhere in Jeddah as a substitute. On the fast Saudi circuit he showed that he can easily keep up with the Formula 1 field. Haas will use him several more times during free practice later this year, so there is a good chance that he will drive his first full season for the team next year.

Pietro Fittipaldi

If Haas does not opt ​​for Bearman, they can always look at their reserve bench. Pietro Fittpaldi has been there for years, faithfully waiting for a new opportunity. The Brazilian knows everyone at Haas well and in 2020 he already rode two races as a replacement for the injured Romain Grosjean. Fittipaldi will drive in IndyCar this year for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team. There is little chance that Haas will choose him, but it would not be a strange choice given his bond with the team.

Valtteri Bottas & Guanyu Zhou

Kevin Magnussen’s future at Haas is also not yet certain. The Dane has an expiring contract and he has not yet started the season very strongly. If Haas wants to put a reliable driver with experience in the car, they can look at Sauber. There is a good chance that Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will both have to leave there. Bottas is an experienced force with a large fan base and Zhou brings with him a lot of Chinese attention. Both drivers do not make any major mistakes, and that makes them interesting options for Haas.

Ferrari contenders

Bearman is not the only driver that Ferrari could place at Haas. The Italian racing team has regularly given the Russian Israeli Robert Shwartzman the opportunity in free training in recent years. He could easily become an outsider for the Haas seat. He is currently driving a Ferrari Hypercar in the WEC and is making a big impression there. Ferrari also has Arthur Leclerc under contract, but the chances for the Monegasque are virtually zero. He mainly plays a role behind the scenes at Ferrari and he did not make the biggest impression in Formula 2.