Bearman Confides He Felt 'Really Special' After Receiving Message From Vettel

Friday, 15 March 2024 at 09:00

Updated at Friday, 15 March 2024 at 09:05

Oliver Bearman, who had his F1 debut during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, revealed he received supporting and congratulatory messages from numerous big names, including Sebastian Vettel.

Ollie Bearman put his name on the radar of multiple F1 teams after his successful debut during the second race of the 2024 season at one of the most challenging tracks- Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

As racefans.net reports, the 18-year-old, who finished the race in P7, received multiple congratulatory messages from people, including Formula 1 CEO (former Ferrari team principal) Stefano Domenicali and the four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

Read also

Bearman Credits Sainz And Leclerc For 'Fantastic' Help During His First Race

The British teenager said after the race that perhaps his favorite message was from his childhood hero - Vettel. He was quoted as saying:

"My favorite one was from Sebastian Vettel. I'm a huge fan of his since the early days. I was even, up until he retired, I was always rooting for Seb so to get a message from him was really special. To know that he was kind of watching me put a bit of pressure, but it was a nice pressure, as well."

The 18-year-old also received a lot of support from the current drivers. Charles Leclerc or George Russell, for example, both stated after the race that they expect to see him in F1 sooner rather than later.

"And I got a hug from Lewis [Hamilton] as well after the race. Childhood dreams come true to make my debut in a Ferrari first of all. It's an incredible achievement, and I'm very proud of that."

By taking Carlos Sainz's seat during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Bearman became the third youngest (after Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen) driver ever to race an F1 car during an official Grand Prix race. He added:

"Also, to become the youngest British driver is quite a statement as well. I was the third-youngest driver ever which is pretty awesome. I'm on the podium!"