A vacuum pump, in particular a turbomolecular vacuum pump, having at least one pump inlet and at least one pump outlet, having rotor elements which are arranged at a rotor shaft, and having stator elements which are arranged at a housing or at a component fixedly connected to the housing, wherein rotor and stator elements are opposite one another or adjacent to one another, and wherein at least two bearings are provided for supporting the rotor shaft, of which bearings a first bearing is associated with a high-vacuum region, in particular with the at least one pump inlet, and a second bearing is associated with a fore-vacuum region, in particular with the at least one pump outlet, wherein the bearing which is associated with the high-vacuum region is a lubricant-free bearing, in particular a permanent magnet bearing, and the bearing which is associated with the fore-vacuum region is a rolling element bearing, wherein the rolling element bearing has an outer ring and an inner ring and rolling elements are arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, the vacuum pump further comprising: a support apparatus comprising a bearing cassette for supporting the rolling element bearing, wherein the bearing cassette at least partly has a plastic material and comprises a reception section for receiving the outer ring of the rolling element bearing and a fastening section for fastening the bearing cassette to the housing or to a component fixedly connected to the housing, wherein the reception section and the fastening section are connected by means of a connection section, wherein the connection section has a plurality of slots, each having a circular arc-like sigmoidal course or spiral portion-like course, with a circular arc-like connection web being formed between two respective slots, characterized in that the reception section and the fastening section of the bearing cassette have a plastic material and the connection section likewise has a plastic material. having at least one pump inlet and at least one pump outlet, having rotor elements which are arranged at a rotor shaft, and having stator elements which are arranged at a housing or at a component fixedly connected to the housing, wherein rotor and stator elements are opposite one another or adjacent to one another, and wherein at least two bearings are provided for supporting the rotor shaft, of which bearings a first bearing is associated with a high-vacuum region, in particular with the at least one pump inlet, and a second bearing is associated with a fore-vacuum region, in particular with the at least one pump outlet, wherein the bearing which is associated with the high-vacuum region is a lubricant-free bearing, in particular a permanent magnet bearing, and the bearing which is associated with the fore-vacuum region is a rolling element bearing, wherein the rolling element bearing has an outer ring and an inner ring and rolling elements are arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, the vacuum pump further comprising: a support apparatus comprising a bearing cassette for supporting the rolling element bearing, wherein the bearing cassette at least partly has a plastic material and comprises a reception section for receiving the outer ring of the rolling element bearing and a fastening section for fastening the bearing cassette to the housing or to a component fixedly connected to the housing, wherein the reception section and the fastening section are connected by means of a connection section, wherein the connection section has a plurality of slots, each having a circular arc-like sigmoidal course or spiral portion-like course, with a circular arc-like connection web being formed between two respective slots, characterized in that a support apparatus comprising a bearing cassette for supporting the rolling element bearing, wherein the bearing cassette at least partly has a plastic material and comprises a reception section for receiving the outer ring of the rolling element bearing and a fastening section for fastening the bearing cassette to the housing or to a component fixedly connected to the housing, wherein the reception section and the fastening section are connected by means of a connection section, wherein the connection section has a plurality of slots, each having a circular arc-like sigmoidal course or spiral portion-like course, with a circular arc-like connection web being formed between two respective slots, characterized in that the reception section and the fastening section of the bearing cassette have a plastic material and the connection section likewise has a plastic material.