Sainz’s injury provided Ollie Bearman with a prime opportunity to demonstrate his racing skills.
Carlos Sainz struggled to walk during his visit to the Paddock (Via IMAGO).
Carlos Sainz was substituted by a reserve driver from Ferrari for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis, which required surgery. The Spanish driver participated in the FP1 and FP2 sessions on Thursday but had to skip his pre-weekend media obligations to undergo the surgery. Meanwhile, Bearman took on the responsibilities of FP3 and Qualifying.
Bearman’s debut in Formula 1 happened in a similar manner to someone else’s in 2022. He stepped in for Williams driver [name], who had surgery for the same appendicitis issue prior to the Italian Grand Prix. Despite this, Oliver Bearman received encouragement from Sainz and went on to achieve an impressive 7th place finish.
I am delighted to be here to support Charles and Ollie. I will do my best to assist the pit wall and engineers in order to secure a good result for the team.
The Spanish driver showed up to support his teammate Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman, even though he was advised to rest during the grand prix. Sainz mentioned that he had come to assist the team and contribute his experience while also cheering them on.
During the opening lap of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Bearman made a quick start and pulled away from Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. Ollie Bearman closely followed behind. With his fresh set of soft tires, the 18-year-old British driver exhibited impressive speed initially.
He engaged in a battle with Tsunoda on his first lap in Formula 1, before being overtaken by Red Bull’s Perez. Bearman’s temporary teammate Leclerc had a challenging start to the race, as he was once again beaten off the line by three-time world champion Verstappen.
Bearman’s remarkable points finish on his debut received praise from the entire Formula 1 grid, with [name] giving him a special mention and congratulating him during the cooldown lap. Former F1 champion [name] even referred to him as the next star of F1.