For Oliver Bearman, his dream came true in Jeddah. He was allowed to make his debut in the highest class of motorsport in a Ferrari. The youngster reveals that none other than Sebastian Vettel sent him a message in advance and that gave him some extra pressure.
Bearman was given the job of replacing Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia. The Spaniard suffered from acute appendicitis and had to leave the racing to the Englishman. The 18-year-old driver fulfilled his role well and even managed to take home points by finishing seventh during the race. The performance received a lot of praise, but Bearman was put under extra pressure in advance by a message from his great idol: Vettel.
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Big fan of Vettel
In conversation with Motorsport magazine Bearman looks back on his weekend in Jeddah. The youngster received many success messages, but he thought one was very special. “My favorite [bericht voor de race] belonged to Sebastian Vettel. I’ve been a big fan of his since the beginning. I always cheered for Seb until his retirement,” he says. The fact that the four-time champion of all people spoke up was appreciated, but it also created extra pressure. “To then receive a message from him , that was really special. Knowing he was looking at me created some pressure, but let’s say it was nice pressure,” Bearman said.
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Future Bearman
Although Bearman had an excellent substitute, another year in Formula 2 lies ahead for him this season. Auto Motor und Sport recently reported that Haas initially planned to put the youngster in the American car for a full season this year. However, that did not happen and had everything to do with the problems in the American car. Those chances seem to be there next season. Team boss Ayao Komatsu has been impressed by the Englishman since last season, when Bearman rode a free practice session for Haas.
