Ferrari have helped Mercedes pick Hamilton replacement after Bearman heroics
Carlos Sainz's misfortune was Oliver Bearman's gain and, on Saturday, another British Formula 1 star lit up the Jeddah sky.
The Spaniard was struck down by appendicitis and needed surgery. So, Ferrari told 18-year-old junior driver Bearman to forget the fact he had qualified on pole for the Formula 2 feature race - he was going to be racing with the big boys at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And he didn't for a second look out of place. Starting 11th - he was unfortunate to be so far back after narrowly missing out on Q3 the previous day - the teenager from Chelmsford in Essex showed skill and, most impressively of all, great maturity to keep out of trouble and rise to seventh place by the end of the 50-lap race.
He was so tired afterwards that he had to be helped out of his Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion's Mercedes was parked two places behind in parc fermé, having finished only ninth, while Lando Norris was also beaten by the debutant. Of the four Brits on track, only George Russell got the better of the 18-year-old.
It's great news for Ferrari, of course, that they have such a talent on the books. Bearman had already impressed in practice sessions for customer team Haas and, at the end of his sophomore season in F2 this year, looks likely to land a full-time race seat with the American team for 2025. That's if an even better opportunity doesn't come along in the meantime.
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But, despite the fact their rivals have a potential megastar on their hands, it was also great news for Mercedes. It is a situation which Toto Wolff can use to his advantage as he mulls over one of the biggest decisions he has ever had to make for the team's future.
The Austrian team principal has the unenviable task of replacing Hamilton at the end of the year. The 39-year-old has agreed to join Ferrari, where he may one day find himself eventually replaced by Bearman if the younger Brit continues on his upward trajectory.
One of those potentially in the frame is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian Mercedes junior is even younger at only 17 but has been fast-tracked into F2. Wolff has been keen to downplay the hype around the teenager but clearly recognises the talent, having personally joined him on track days in recent months.
Usefully for Mercedes, Antonelli is Bearman's team-mate at Prema in F2 this year. It means they are able to directly compare their starboy with another proven young talent who has already shown he has what it takes to cut it in F1 under pressure.
Replacing the most decorated F1 driver of all time with a teenager would be an extremely brave move. But it is one Wolff is considering - and now he has the yardstick against which he can measure his prodigy's progress and assess whether picking him for a 2025 F1 debut with Mercedes is the right way to go.
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