Should Haas become Ferrari’s ‘Red Bull-style’ junior team?

The seven-year partnership between the Haas Formula 1 team and Kevin Magnussen will come to an end at the conclusion of the F1 2024 season — but what’s next for Haas? 

For most of its history, Haas has relied upon experienced drivers to guide its path forward — but without Magnussen in 2025, that seat beside rookie Oliver Bearman is empty. We asked PlanetF1.com readers what Haas should do next: Go all-in on young drivers, or stick with the best?

PlanetF1.com readers react: What’s next for Haas?

PlanetF1.com readers also had a lot of concern about what’s next for Haas; there are some great options out there still looking for a seat for 2025, but that doesn’t mean every option is perfect.

“It went great last time! […] I think as long as one of them is experienced they’ll do fine. And Ferrari need a red bull style junior team who they can run drivers through, ignore, promote, fire, rehire, cut ties with and lament.” – @chainbear on X

“This is a good move. Now, they need to replace him with another experienced driver. If Sainz isn’t interested, Ocon or Bottas would be good.” – @imightbechad on X

“Ocon is a known terrible teammate. Horrible move with a rookie in the other seat.” – @Jane_Surprise on X

What we know about the F1 2025 grid so far:

👉 F1 2025 driver line-up: Who is already confirmed for the 2025 grid?

👉 Revealed: The seven drivers out of contract at the end of the F1 2024 season

Elizabeth Blackstock’s take: Time for Haas to define itself

One of my primary critiques of the Haas F1 team is that it has never quite felt like it possessed a distinct personality that sets it apart from the rest of the field. I know I can rely on Williams for a down-home, comfy feel, and that Ferrari will do everything with passion. But Haas? Well, I don’t really know!

Part of that has come down to the ingenious way the team was built; it effectively cobbled together a bunch of equipment, facilities, drivers, mechanics, and team personnel from the scraps of then current and former F1 teams. It was the best way to get a brand-new team off the ground — but it also resulted in a team that never really adopted its own distinct identity.

(Yes, there was that brief period in 2021 where the signing of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin threatened to force Haas into its own — but the intra-team squabbles and clashing personalities quashed those efforts in the bud.)

Heading into 2025, Haas really has a chance to define the kind of team it wants to be.

I think signing Oliver Bearman was an inspired move, and I’d like to see that gamble pay off for the team, especially because Bearman is one of the only drivers Haas has ever signed that seems to have been built up and trained by the team. No, the rookie won’t be a team leader — but he will be the first example of what this new Haas can do.

He’d do well to have an experienced driver by his side, but Haas is going to need to be careful with that choice. As some readers responded above, someone like Carlos Sainz or Valtteri Bottas would be a great fit, as both drivers have ample wheel time. Bottas may be the best of the two, if only because he seems to be at a point in his career where he’s just happy to be in Formula 1, no matter where he’s at.

But Esteban Ocon’s name has emerged as the likeliest contender for the second Haas seat. Ocon isn’t a mentor; rather, he’s the kind of guy who is going to look at his teammate as Target No. 1. After all, your teammate is the only other driver in equal equipment — and Ocon has a lot to prove after being dropped by Alpine.

Whoever Haas selects as its second driver will play a significant role in determining what the team’s identity will be going forward, and it should make that decision with care.

Read next: IMSA calling for Kevin Magnussen? ‘Time for Kevin to follow his dad’