Oliver Bearman hopes he has done a ‘good job interview’ after finishing seventh on his Formula One debut for Ferrari… as he prepares to ‘go back to reality’ and focus on the F2 title race after stepping in for Carlos Sainz
- Bearman finished ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to finish seventh
- The Briton replaced Carlos Sainz, who underwent surgery for appendicitis
- He will wait to see whether Sainz has recovered for the Australian GP in two weeks
Oliver Bearman hopes he has had a ‘good job interview’ as he prepares to return to Formula 2 after an excellent F1 debut race.
The 18-year-old went into the weekend with a focus on the F2 race in Jeddah, but found himself thrust into the Ferrari seat when Carlos Sainz required emergency surgery due to appendicitis.
Bearman became the youngest British driver of all time and produced a stunning performance to finish seventh, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Speak with Air sports After the race, Bearman lamented that his opportunity passed too quickly, but he hopes he has shown his talents enough to convince F1 teams to grab him for the 2025 season.
He said: ‘It’s great to get this opportunity in F1, but my main focus this year is obviously on F2, but I hope I had a good interview today.’
Oliver Bearman hopes he has completed a good ‘job interview’ to drive in F1 in 2025 after finishing seventh in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Bearman (pictured hugging his father David) showed maturity beyond his years in his first race
Bearman returns to Formula 2, where he hopes to win the championship
He added, “IIt was a great race. I enjoyed every moment of it, but it went too fast and now I’m back down to earth and back to reality, but I think I did a good job today.”
Sainz said he underwent a ‘smooth operation’ on Friday for appendicitis and was in the paddock today for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The next race is in Australia in a fortnight, and Bearman would be the likely man to replace Sainz if the Spaniard is not ready by then.
Asked about his chances of driving for Ferrari again in Melbourne, Bearman said: ‘Carlos looks good and is recovering well.
“It’s not my decision, but if he feels good and I hope he does, he will be in the car in Melbourne. It’s his car and his championship.’
During his debut race, Bearman was involved in battles with the likes of Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu and Nico Hulkenberg.
Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton – both on alternative strategies – were on softer tires towards the end of the race and overtook Bearman.
It took him ‘ten rounds of qualifying’ to maintain his seventh place, ahead of Norris and the seven-time F1 champion.
Bearman would be favorite to replace Carlos Sainz in Australia if the Spaniard is not ready after his appendectomy
Bearman finished ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton (photo congratulates the teenager)
When asked what his biggest surprise of the weekend was, he said: ‘F2 is a fantastic workout as I felt really prepared and could see from the first practice run that I was on the right pace. A testament to how the feeder series prepares drivers for F1.
‘But the crazy thing is how much you can push those last ten laps when I had the guys behind me on soft tires (Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton). I did qualifying lap after qualifying lap.’
Bearman had qualified on pole for the Formula 2 race in Jeddah before withdrawing when called up to Ferrari.
After a disappointing opening weekend in Bahrain, as things stand he finds himself bottom of the F2 Championship, without having scored a single point. He is 47 points behind current leader Zane Maloney.