A finish in the points and earning driver of the day – Oliver Bearman had one of the most impressive debut races in Jeddah, given the circumstances. Filling in for Carlos Sainz on a very short notice, the British driver seemed unfazed by the task. Each driver, including Lewis Hamilton, took note of Bearman’s performance and praised the 18-year-old for the same. Speaking to the media after the race, Bearman even revealed he received a message of support from former world champion Sebastian Vettel (as per video uploaded on X by user Emi).
“I got a message from one of my heroes, Sebastian Vettel — which was really, really nice — before the race.”
Lewis Hamilton was amongst the first drivers to congratulate Bearman on an impressive outing. After the race got over, Hamilton drove past him, showing him a thumbs up to congratulate him on his P7 finish. He then proceeded to the pitlane, where he waited for Bearman to come in. Hamilton hugged his fellow countryman and wished him the best of luck once again. Speaking to the media about the same, the 7X world champion said he wanted to show Bearman his gratitude.
omg lewis gave ollie thumbs up pic.twitter.com/sEkYHQaHjK
— sin ⁴⁴ (@44britcedes) March 9, 2024
Hamilton added that when he came to F1, he didn’t feel welcomed by the people. He did not want Bearman to feel the same way, especially after giving proof of being “a great driver for the future.” Bearman had to replace Sainz only a few hours before qualifying in Jeddah. His only practice came in FP3, and it was enough for P11 finish on his qualifying debut.
Charles Leclerc praises Oliver Bearman for an impressive outing
Speaking to David Coulthard after the race, podium finisher Charles Leclerc was all praises for his debutant teammate. Highlighting the 18-year-old’s swift adaptation of the Ferrari machinery, Leclerc claimed it wouldn’t be long before Bearman would become a regular member of the F1 grid.
Aside from adapting to the car, Bearman was beaming with confidence once the lights turned green in Jeddah. He defended his starting position in the early laps and also showcased aggressive driving when needed.
| Charles Leclerc sobre a corrida de Ollie Bearman:
“Ollie fez um ótimo trabalho, hoje ele foi incrível. Sétimo em sua primeira corrida após apenas fazer o TL3 em um carro novo, é impressionante. Tenho certeza que ele está extremamente orgulhoso.” pic.twitter.com/fppZpRQYYJ— TEAM LECLERC BRASIL (@LeclercTeam) March 9, 2024
Without enough practice and barely any race-starting experience, the teenager showed no signs of fear. He was less than half a second away from knocking Hamilton out in Q2. In the race, not only did he outperform Hamilton, but also held off a challenge from Lando Norris. Given the same, Leclerc claimed, “Everybody has noticed how talented he is, and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before he’s in F1.”
Carlos Sainz seems to be recovering well, and was in the paddock on Saturday, just one day after his appendicitis surgery. Hence, for now, it remains unclear if Bearman will race in the next round in Australia.
