Ollie Bearman revealed what the four-time Champion Sebastian Vettel wrote him after his debut race in Saudi Arabia.
Some of the drivers on the current grid didn't receive a very warm welcome when they came to Formula 1, and so many of them work hard to ensure new rookies don't feel that way.
Oliver Bearman received a lot of love ahead of and after his debut race in Formula One during the second round of the 2024 season- the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
It started with the two Ferrari drivers who did what they could to help the young Briton prepare for the race. Carlos Sainz even spoke to his engineer during the race to help Bearman improve in real-time.
Many drivers publicly endorsed the 18-year-old after the race, saying he deserves a seat in Formula 1 and that they expect to be racing him again soon.
Bearman also received heaps of messages before and after the race. He previously confided that one of them was really special for him, as it came from his childhood hero, Sebastian Vettel. He said:
"It was crazy. To share the track with people like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton and receive a lovely text message from Seb before the race."
The 18-year-old revealed that he was that he replied to the four-time World Champion and that he also received a message from him after the race as he added:
"I grew up watching these guys in 2010, 2011, and 2012, so to get the recognition was a real pinch-yourself moment. I replied [to Vettel] that I'm a big fan – I was a bit of a fanboy there!"
"I was a huge supporter of Seb when he was at Ferrari and when he was at Aston. After the race, he said I did a good job and should be proud."