Ferrari chief Vasseur close to 'done deal' on another masterstroke like Hamilton and Newey

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur is reportedly close to sealing an impressive deal that would give the Italian team another reason to be excited about the future. Vasseur has pulled off a number of coups since replacing Mattia Binotto as team principal, having already secured Lewis Hamilton's services for next season.

Ferrari have poached several key members of staff from Mercedes, including Loic Serra and Jerome d'Ambrosio, in recent weeks. They have also been linked with a potential move for outgoing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, who will leave the reigning champions in early 2025.

Vasseur could be about to strike another exciting agreement regarding the future of Oliver Bearman, who is considered to be Ferrari's best young prospect. He earned plenty of praise when he stepped in for Carlos Sainz at this year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing seventh on his F1 debut.

Ferrari are close to reaching an agreement with Haas that would see Bearman drive for the American team in 2025, according to Lawrence Barretto. It is said that talks have progressed to the point where it is nearly a 'done deal', with only minor details still to be thrashed out in negotiations.

Bearman has already driven for Haas this year, stepping in for Kevin Magnussen in FP1 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Haas team principal Ayao Kamatsu was left highly impressed with Bearman's display, saying: "I don’t think you can fault him. He’s done really well.

"All the way from the initial preparation, he’s been very professional, very, very easy to deal with in every single process, I have nothing to complain [about]. Today, with the calmness, procedures he understood, he understood the objectives of every single run. He didn’t put a foot wrong, really."

Bearman is due to have another FP1 outing for Haas at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. However, it remains to be seen how he will cope with the trials and tribulations of a full-time seat if his proposed move to Haas for 2025 goes ahead.

The 19-year-old has been tipped as a future Ferrari driver and the Maranello squad will be hoping that a season or two at Haas will aid his development by providing valuable experience. He could end up taking a similar pathway to Charles Leclerc, who raced for Sauber in his debut F1 season before stepping up to Ferrari a year later.