“He Could Tell I Was Nervous”: Ollie Bearman Recalls Charles Leclerc’s ‘Priceless’ Insights Before F1 Debut

“He Could Tell I Was Nervous”: Ollie Bearman Recalls Charles Leclerc’s ‘Priceless’ Insights Before F1 Debut

Earlier this year, F2 sensation Ollie Bearman made his F1 debut in very peculiar circumstances. He filled in for Carlos Sainz on very short notice at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP and had only about one practice session to get to grips with the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and his SF24.

Moreover, FP3, which would have been Bearman’s second run with the Ferrari, was also cut short after Zhou Guanyu had a massive crash. Therefore, the 19-year-old Briton had little to no insights going into his first-ever F1 Grand Prix.

However, the #38 driver revealed that his teammate Charles Leclerc had sensed his nervous demeanor. As a result, the #16 driver gave Bearman all the crucial insights the young Briton needed to tackle the challenge of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Speaking on the High-Performance Podcast, Bearman revealed, “I think he [Leclerc] could tell I was nervous. The thing I remember he helped me was before the race we sat down with him and Fred [Vasseur].”

Leclerc gave Bearman crucial tips with respect to the runs. The #38 driver explained that he had not even done two push laps before the Grand Prix was due to start.

That is why Leclerc’s help was vital as the Monegasque gave Bearman knowledge about tire behavior and tips to cope through the course of a full race distance. This information came in handy for Bearman, who beat both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to secure a solid P7 finish in the race.

Bearman has always been a Leclerc fan

During his conversation with host Jake Humphrey, Bearman also discussed his admiration for Leclerc. As Bearman explained, he has known the #16 driver for a while now and has rooted for him ever since.

Bearman and Charles Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur Leclerc, were teammates during their stint in Formula 3. And while Bearman had only met Charles a few times, the Saudi Arabian GP weekend was a real eye-opener for the British rookie.

“I have always really been a big fan of Charles. We had met a few times but that weekend [2024 Saudi Arabian GP] I saw what kind of a person he was,” concluded the 19-year-old. Bearman will make his full-time F1 debut with Haas next year and will partner with Esteban Ocon.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Charles Leclerc Ollie Bearman

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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