“Lewis helped me out of the car after the race,” explained Oliver Bearman

Oliver Bearman, the young British driver who raced for Ferrari in both qualifying and the race this weekend, made a remarkable debut in Formula 1. Stepping in for Carlos Sainz at short notice due to appendicitis, 18-year-old Oliver Bearman proved himself worthy of the occasion. In his first practice session, he impressed, and he managed to qualify in 11th place. However, it was during the race that he truly shined, finishing in an excellent seventh place.

The praises quickly rained down on the 18-year-old British driver. Skilled drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Lando Norris made sure to congratulate him personally. Even his teammate, Charles Leclerc, didn’t hide his admiration for Bearman’s performance.

This experience was quite physical. While Oliver Bearman is used to enduring the centrifugal forces of single-seaters and was familiar with this circuit, he had never driven as fast and as long. He even confided that Hamilton had helped him out of his car after the race, highlighting the physical challenge of the event.

Lewis literally dragged me out of the car because I was struggling. It was really physical. In a race like this – one of the least degrading circuits of the season and one of the highest in lateral G-forces – you practically do 50 qualifying laps.

Bearman grew up admiring these champions, and he considers their recognition an honor. “It was a pleasure to have their recognition. […] I grew up watching these guys fight and it was nice to share the track with them,” said young Oliver Bearman to the media at the end of the race.

Despite the pressure, Bearman managed to stay calm and focused. He handled the start of the race and the chaos of the first lap brilliantly. His pace improved as the race went on, especially when he switched to the hard tires. When asked about his nerves at the start, he replied, “Honestly, surprisingly, it felt like any other race.”

Honestly, surprisingly, it felt like any other race. The procedure is a bit different from the start in F2, but once the lights go out, you focus on what’s around you. Fortunately, the radios in F4 weren’t broadcast, but in F3, I was a bit more irritable and over the years I learned that it doesn’t bring any performance. No matter what, I tried to stay calm, especially in a situation like this. We knew the race was going to come to us, so I stayed calm and let it come.

Bearman admitted that he was still learning, especially about the use of energy in racing. He had to adapt quickly against experienced drivers like Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hülkenberg.

On the restart, I made a very good overtake on [Tsunoda] and I don’t think he expected me to cover the inside. I had a lot more pace than those guys and they were just a bit smarter than me in terms of energy usage, which is something I had never had to do before. I was really learning on the fly. Especially with Nico, he seemed to use his battery in all the right places and I seemed to use it in all the wrong places, so it took me a few laps to understand. I stayed disciplined and didn’t try to force it too much.

Bearman’s performance in Jeddah is a promising sign for the future. His ability to adapt quickly and remain calm under pressure hints at enormous potential. The world of Formula 1 will definitely have to keep an eye on this young talent in the future.

Oliver Bearman was the youngest driver to take the wheel in a race for Ferrari in the history of the Scuderia. This added extra pressure that he handled perfectly.

Note that during Liam Lawson’s debut in F1, replacing Daniel Ricciardo at the Dutch Grand Prix, the driver had to ask for help from his mechanics to extract himself from the AlphaTauri as he was absolutely cramped in the arms. Bearman’s “ease” in getting out of his car almost by himself only honors him.