Oliver Bearman’s Challenging Weekend at the São Paulo Grand Prix

Oliver Bearman, the 19-year-old British driver, faced a series of challenges during the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. Bearman was called in to replace Kevin Magnussen at Haas F1 Team after Magnussen fell ill, marking the second time this season Bearman has stepped in for the Danish driver, following a previous substitution at Baku.

In the Sprint race on Saturday, Bearman finished 14th after a tumultuous start and ongoing tire struggles. He initially made up a few positions on the opening lap but gradually lost pace due to tire wear. His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, had to retire his car on lap 21 due to a gearbox issue.

Bearman’s preparation for the wet conditions included studying onboard footage from Max Verstappen‘s 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, where Verstappen made several impressive passes. Despite limited experience driving in the wet, Bearman found the track conditions at Autódromo José Carlos Pace intriguing and challenging.

Saturday’s qualifying session was postponed due to heavy rain and standing water on the track, rescheduling it for Sunday morning. However, Bearman’s qualifying session on Sunday did not go as planned; he was knocked out in Q1 after making a wrong tire call, admitting it was his fault for calling for intermediate tires.

Bearman’s performance in the weekend’s events, despite the setbacks, has highlighted his adaptability and potential. He had previously impressed with a seventh-place finish in Jeddah and a tenth-place finish in Baku, setting a record for scoring points in his first two races with different teams.