F1 facing reserve driver shortage at Baku

Formula 1 is facing a reserve driver shortage this weekend at Baku.

Kevin Magnussen is not in Azerbaijan this weekend as he serves his controversial one-race suspension for accumulating 12 penalty points on his super license.

His Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg stridently defended the absent Dane on Thursday, insisting stewards are too quick to penalise drivers for minor incidents. "Most drivers think the same way," the German insisted.

However, Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) director George Russell says Magnussen was actually "not punished hard enough" for some earlier incidents, and insists that F1 drivers must "set an example for the junior categories".

No matter where the drivers stand, the situation has pulled Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman off the bench and into the Haas cockpit.

But what if a Ferrari racer suffers a setback in Baku practice and Bearman is recalled to the red garage? For that eventuality, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu admits he was facing a dilemma.

"It’s the WEC weekend," said the Japanese. "We have access to Ferrari’s reserves, but people like Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman are in Japan. Other reserve drivers are there as well.

"Our second reserve is Pietro (Fittipaldi), but he is doing the season finale in Indycar," Komatsu added.

"Fortunately, we have agreed to share Fred with Mercedes."

’Fred’ is Frederik Vesti (photo), a Danish reserve driver for Mercedes - who is also on stand-by for Mercedes-powered teams McLaren and Williams this weekend.

"In the worst case scenario, we’re going to run out of reserve drivers," Komatsu smiled. "But that is very, very unlikely."