Oliver Bearman Reflects on His Shock F1 Debut with Ferrari: “Not the Ideal Situation”

Coming into the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP, Oliver Bearman had no idea that he would be making his F1 debut. The British teenager replaced an unwell Carlos Sainz, who has been diagnosed with appendicitis. However, Bearman was caught off guard and admitted that it was not the ideal way to make in first appearance in the sport.

Speaking about this, the rookie driver said to Sky Sports, “I woke up preparing and mentally thinking about my F2 race, and then I got chucked in the deep end for F1 for FP3 and qualifying. Of course, not the ideal situation, and I feel sorry for Carlos and wish him the best, but it’s a fantastic opportunity”

Bearman took part in his first-ever F1 qualifying on Friday and finished the session in P11. He failed to break through in Q3 after failing to get the better of Lewis Hamilton by three-hundredths of a second. Despite not getting the Ferrari into the top 10, Bearman admitted that he had a lot of fun. Because he just had an hour’s worth of practice (FP3) to get ready for the weekend, it was a commendable performance from the Brit.

The 18-year-old arrived in F1 right after taking pole position in the F2 qualifying. It was a good bounce-back for Bearman after he failed to score points in the opener in Bahrain. However, now that he will drive for Ferrari in F1, he won’t compete in either F2 race. This will leave him in the bottom of the championship standings.

What happened to Carlos Sainz?

Carlos Sainz missed out on qualifying in Jeddah, because of appendicitis. He underwent surgery, and could be out for up-to six weeks. In that duration, he could end up missing both the Australian GP and the Japanese GP.

Sainz did take part in FP1 and FP2 but was visibly struggling. This paved the way for Bearman becoming the youngest driver to make his Ferrari debut since Arturo Mezario in 1972. Thankfully, Sainz is out of surgery, and team principal Fred Vasseur stated that he is doing well.

Sainz is currently in a Saudi Arabian hospital and will continue to rest there for a few days, before starting his recovery. He thanked the doctors and medical professionals who took care of him. Sainz also wished his team and Ollie Bearman the best of luck.