The portrait of the eighteen-year-old Englishman who has been part of the Maranello Academy since 2021 and is called upon to replace Carlos Sainz in the Saudi Arabian GP.
Making his debut in Formula 1 at 18 and doing it behind the wheel of a Ferrari. What Oliver Bearman is about to experience over the weekend in Jeddah is practically the dream of every young pilot: the physical condition of Carlos Sainz, already feverish since Wednesday, has in fact worsened during the night and the pilot has been diagnosed with a form of appendicitis which will require a surgical resolution. It is the fulfillment of the reserve driver’s destiny, forced to be ready for every call from the bench, “taking advantage” of the owners’ misfortunes for a few moments of glory. Which however will not be a given, because Bearman will find himself driving a car he has never driven before against the 19 most talented and physically prepared guys in the world, moreover after having missed the two precious free practice sessions on Thursday. But who is Oliver Bearman, the young man from the Ferrari Driver Academy who will replace Sainz in the Saudi Arabian GP?
WHO IS BEARMAN
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Born in Chelmsford, in the south-east of England, on 8 May 2005, Bearman began racing karts at the age of eight and gradually managed to establish himself in some category competitions in the United Kingdom until he also established himself at European and international. In 2020 the transition to Formula 4 single-seaters was marked by the first victories, but the crucial year was the following year, in which the Briton brought home success in the Italian and German F4 championships (the two most prestigious at European level). It is no coincidence that in November 2021 he entered the Ferrari Driver Academy, the school for young drivers of the Maranello team. The transition to red opens the doors of the Prema team to him, the Vicenza team on which the Cavallino often relies to help its talents grow in the preparatory categories.
WITH THE FDA
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Bearman finishes the 2022 Formula 3 season in third place with a victory and eight podiums to his credit, earning him promotion to Formula 2: in his debut year among the cadets, the Englishman wins four races, scores three pole positions and enters overall for six times in the top-3, finishing the season in sixth place. Remarkable results considering his very young age, which guaranteed him to remain in Prema also in the 2024 F2 season, in which Bearman is considered among the candidates for the final victory, despite having to emerge in the difficult internal challenge in the garage with his teammate ( pupil of Toto Wolff and trained for years by the Mercedes school) Andrea Kimi Antonelli. After a difficult weekend in Sakhir, Bearman had bounced back strongly in Jeddah, taking his first pole position of the season. However, the first spot on the F2 grid will remain empty in Saturday afternoon’s race: Olly will have a decidedly more important and prestigious task to complete…
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