Young British Driver Oliver Bearman to Make F1 Debut in Place of Sainz at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Ferrari has made the decision to have Oliver Bearman step in for Carlos Sainz at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis. The young British talent will be making his Formula 1 debut in Jeddah this weekend.

Bearman, a reserve driver for both Ferrari and Haas, will be taking over Sainz’s seat for the race, becoming the youngest Briton to race in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. This news comes after Bearman secured pole position for the F2 feature race but will now focus solely on his F1 responsibilities.

A statement from Ferrari confirmed the replacement, with Bearman set to participate in Free Practice 3 ahead of the Grand Prix weekend. The team expressed their well wishes for Sainz’s speedy recovery from the surgical procedure he requires.

Oliver Bearman, who is set to turn 19 in May, has previously had F1 race weekend experience, driving in practice sessions for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi. Team principal Fred Vasseur chose Bearman as the replacement over fellow reserve driver Robert Shwartzman.

The duration of Sainz’s absence from the track is uncertain, and it remains to be seen if he will be fit to compete in the Australian Grand Prix in the coming weeks. Notable cases of drivers recovering from appendicitis include Alex Albon, who returned to racing just two weeks after missing the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz, who recently clinched a podium finish in Bahrain, is set to depart Ferrari at the end of the season, making way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to join the team.