Max Verstappen clinched victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday, but it was the 18-year-old Bearman who captured attention by securing seventh place for Ferrari, a day after his unexpected debut.
“The car was mega today, so thank you. I enjoyed it. It was so much fun out there,” the British driver expressed his gratitude to Ferrari over the radio after crossing the finish line and earning six points.
Bearman had arrived in Jeddah anticipating to race in Formula 2 and had even qualified on pole in the junior series. However, Ferrari surprised him on Friday morning by informing him that he would be replacing Carlos Sainz Jr., who was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent an operation the same day.
With his father David witnessing from the garage alongside Ferrari executive chairman John Elkann, Bearman’s relative lack of experience didn’t hinder him on Saturday as he climbed from 11th on the grid to secure a points finish, overtaking Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu, and Nico Hulkenberg along the way.
“Mate, he’s so slow,” Bearman communicated to Ferrari over the radio before overtaking Hulkenberg, a seasoned driver for Haas. Despite worn tires in the final laps, Bearman held his ground to keep Lando Norris and seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton at bay.
“He’s been incredible,” praised Bearman’s Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc. “Seventh in your first race in Formula 1, having done only (third practice), all in a new car is just hugely impressive. I’m sure he’s extremely proud. Everybody has noticed how talented he is. I guess it’s just a matter of time before he comes here (to) Formula 1.”
Bearman became the third-youngest driver to start an F1 race, following Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll, and the youngest ever for Ferrari, marking the Italian team’s first rookie debut in 52 years.
The challenging track in Jeddah, with its high-speed layout and narrow stretches flanked by concrete walls, posed a daunting task for any F1 driver, let alone a rookie.
While Bearman had some F1 experience from two practice sessions with Haas last year, the significant speed disparity between F1 and F2, highlighted by nearly a 15-second gap in pole position times, and the longer race distance made for a demanding debut.
Sainz, who indicated on social media that he was “feeling much better” after his operation, was present at the track in Jeddah to show support for Bearman.
With Sainz having two weeks to recover before the next race in Australia on March 24, and Ferrari already confirming Hamilton’s arrival to partner Leclerc next year, Bearman is likely to return to F2 for the time being.
