08 March 2024 , 12:15
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Lewis Hamilton had been expected to become just the 11th British driver to race for Ferrari when he joins the Scuderia next season.
But the seven-time world champion has been beaten to that honour by 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, who will race for the Italians at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bearman will take the place of Carlos Sainz, who has been hit by appendicitis, with the Spaniard now requiring surgery.
That has ruled him out of the rest of the weekend in the Middle East, with Ferrari reserve driver Bearman being called up from F2 to replace him. Bearman is currently driving for Prema Racing in the second-tier championship, which is used as a breeding ground for the next top F1 stars.
His call-up for this weekend's race in Jeddah will mean he will become the youngest Briton to compete in a Formula One race. The day before his promotion, Bearman had taken pole position for F2's Feature Race, in what is just his second season in that championship.
He finished an impressive sixth in his first year last term, winning three feature races and one sprint for Prema. Bearman has long been held in high regard by Ferrari, who handed him a private test in their F1 car last October.
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The young Brit was then given the chance to drive for Haas at practice sessions at the Mexico City Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Bearman was handed a role as reserve driver at the start of this season, alongsideAntonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman.
Despite Giovinazzi having previously raced in F1 for Alfa Romeo, it is Bearman who has been called up to replace Sainz. The call-up will be a dream come true for Bearman, who admitted he had been overwhelmed after his first chance to drive a Ferrari F1 car last year.
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Bearman won three features races in F2 last season (Joe Portlock - Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)“If you think I wasn’t excited, you’d be mistaken,” he said. “I can’t deny that last night I struggled to get to sleep. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day, with my parents on hand and I’m told my mother got quite excited when I drove out of the garage in the Ferrari,” Bearman said.
"The engineers guided me step by step for the first few laps, then as I gained confidence in the car I started to really enjoy it. I was prepared for the enormous amount of power on hand, as I had already driven a Formula 1 car on the simulator.
"But what really surprised me was the level of grip, which is harder to feel sitting in the sim and it’s crazy when compared to the amount you have with the Formula 2 car I’m racing at the moment. The other surprising thing is the level of downforce on these cars, it’s just incredible. Thank you to the Scuderia for making me feel part of the group right away and everyone at Ferrari who made this unforgettable day possible."