Oliver Bearman has become the talk of the town. Following the unfortunate announcement of Carlos Sainz‘s appendix operation, the 18-year-old replaced the Spaniard at the Saudi Arabian GP. Competing in F1 for the first time, Bearman almost perfected adapted to the SF-24 in just one practice session. The Briton managed the pressure in the entire race and eventually won some crucial points for the team. However, even after a strong showing in his debut race, Bearman has declined to take a seat in Carlos Sainz’s SF-24 in Australia.
During his conversation with Channel 4, as quoted by RaceFans, when Oliver Bearman was queried if he would be in the car again in Australia, the 18-year-old had a mixed response. He said, “I hope not. It’s his [Carlos Sainz’s] car, and I feel like I shouldn’t be in his car. I should give it back to him so he can have another turn.”
Earlier on Friday afternoon, Ferrari announced Bearman as Sainz’s replacement. Given that Sainz could only participate in the first two practice sessions because of severe abdominal pain, Bearman drove his car from FP3 onwards.
Subsequently, the 18-year-old made the most of this chance as he finished P7 without any major faults on a tricky track. As a result of his impressive performance, Bearman might now be looking forward to another opportunity, just like any other promising talent.
Interestingly, Oliver has a good chance of being seated in Australia since Sainz is still in his recovery phase. The F2 sensation, nevertheless, has no plans to replace Sainz. Although this is not because he doesn’t want to race for Ferrari, it’s only the Briton’s way of showing respect for Sainz. To put it briefly, the Bearman hopes the #55 driver gets well soon and returns to his seat.
How Oliver Bearman impressed Ferrari with the help of Carlos Sainz’s advice
Oliver Bearman had an excellent Saudi Arabian debut. The 18-year-old managed to finish in P7 after learning that he would be taking Carlos Sainz’s place overnight with just one free practice session and one qualifying session. This achievement brought great pleasure not only to Bearman’s family but also to the whole Ferrari team. However, the ease with which Bearman completed his race was made possible by a special person, Carlos Sainz.
Thanks to his presence, Bearman was able to deal with the strain that came with his debut with relative ease. Before the race started, Sainz disguised himself as an engineer and offered some advice and strategies to his substitutes.
As quoted by Marca, Bearman revealed, “He [Sainz] told me about the exit procedure, because I was using his steering wheel. [Moreover,] He gave me some advice and told me he would be on the wall helping me during the race.”
Sainz’s guidance ultimately helped Bearman win over his team boss, Frederic Vasseur. The Frenchman claimed on Motorsport.com that he finds it ‘unreal’ that Bearman could adjust to the speed and handling of the SF-24 in just one practice session without making a single mistake.
Indeed, towards the end of the race, the 18-year-old did handle the pressure from fellow countrymen Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris quite well. Bearman was able to successfully defend his P7 while the Mercedes maestro chased Norris.
