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.
Overtake #266:
Oliver Bearman on Yuki Tsunoda (2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix) pic.twitter.com/5EWJOsky9J— OvertakeCentral (@OvertakeCentral) March 10, 2024
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.
Q: who is the experienced driver you look up to?
ollie bearman: “when i was younger i liked vettel, button and hamilton… more recently leclerc, driving for ferrari. that’s my role models.”
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) July 3, 2024
“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.
