Just a couple of hours before the start of the third free practice session in Jeddah, Ferrari announced Carlos Sainz pulling out of the race. The Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to undergo surgery. Sainz’s misery has turned out to be a blessing for F2 sensation and Ferrari prodigy Oliver Bearman. The 18-year-old will replace Sainz for the remaining sessions of the Saudi Arabian GP.
With the first and second practice sessions concluded on Thursday, Bearman is left with just one to acclimatize himself to the SF-24. Accustomed to driving 3.4 liter V6 engines in F2, the hybrid turbo-powered V6 1.6 liter F1 car will surely prove to be a challenge.
However, Bearman has proved his ability to adapt in the past. In 2023, he joined the F2 discipline and put on some promising performances right from the start. The then 17-year-old finished the season 6th in the standings.
The Briton will drive with the #38 badging on his Ferrari SF-24. Ferrari’s crew was quick to make necessary display changes to Sainz’s car. The Spaniard’s #55 is off from the livery, making way for #38. Also, Sainz’s name on the roll hoop air inlet has made way for “Oliver Bearman”.
The British driver shares an eerily similar coincidence with Nyck de Vries, who got his F1 break in Monza in 2022 when he replaced Alex Albon, who was ruled out following his appendicitis diagnosis.
Oliver Bearman – racing profile
Bearman is one of the most exciting young drivers that most F1 teams are keeping a tab on. The Briton is rising through the ranks at Ferrari’s driver academy, famous for producing talents like Charles Leclerc.
Before finishing 6th in the 2023 F2 standings, the Prema Racing driver finished 3rd in F3 a year before. Bearman was just 7 points behind champion Victor Martins, but 8 podium finishes with one victory were enough to earn a promotion to F2.
The Prema prodigy continues to race in F2 in 2024 and had secured pole position for the feature race in Jeddah. However, the reserve driver duties for Ferrari will keep him away from further racing for the F2 outfit at least for this weekend. Bearman did not have the best start to the season in Bahrain. After qualifying 18th, Bearman managed a lowly P16 finish in the Sprint and P15 in the main race.
The pole position in Jeddah was therefore a welcome change but surely he won’t complain over the F1 calling. Here’s wishing him the best of luck for the weekend ahead and a quick recovery for Carlos Sainz.
