Oliver Bearman Make his F1 Debut with Ferrari at 18 Years Old
Englishman Oliver Bearman (Ferrari), standing in for Spaniard Carlos Sainz - who underwent appendix surgery on Friday - finished seventh in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday, the second race of the Formula One World Championship. At the urban circuit of Jeddah, Bearman expressed it was a "great experience and opportunity" to complete his "first race in F1 with" the most decorated team in the history of the sport's top category.
"What a great experience and opportunity to have had my first F1 race with Ferrari," he exclaimed. After advancing four positions and finishing seventh on the fastest urban circuit of the championship, Bearman, at 18 years and ten months old, became the youngest debutant in the history of the "Scuderia."
"It was very demanding physically, especially towards the end of the race when I had (my compatriots) Lando (Norris, from McLaren) and (seven-time world champion) Lewis (Hamilton, from Mercedes) behind me on soft tires," explained the young Englishman, who was voted "Driver of the Day."
"I had to push to the limit to maintain the advantage and I had to stay fully focused, keeping an eye on the mirrors the whole time," commented Bearman, who on Thursday secured pole position in F2 and on Friday replaced Sainz in the red car from the third and final free practice session.
"It was a shame that the safety car came in so early, as I was feeling very comfortable on the soft tires; but it's clear that stopping at that moment was the right decision, and I'm very happy with this result," he said after finishing seventh in his first race in the top category, Bearman.
