Oliver Bearman, a British youngster, made history by becoming Ferrari’s youngest rookie ever in a Formula One race after regular driver Carlos Sainz underwent appendix surgery during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday.
Ferrari announced that Sainz, who finished third in the Bahrain season-opening race this past weekend and was the final driver to defeat Red Bull with a victory in Singapore last September, was recovering in the hospital following surgery.
Bearman, who turns 18 on Saturday, is a reserve driver for Ferrari and Ferrari-powered Haas. He was supposed to be racing in Formula Two at the Jeddah Corniche track for the Prema team.
After securing his fourth F2 pole position by qualifying on the front row for the feeder series feature race, the British driver declared Jeddah to be one of his favorite courses.
Since Italian Arturo Merzario made his debut with the sport’s most illustrious, successful, and established team at the 1972 British Grand Prix, he is the 97th driver in the history of Ferrari Formula One.
Bearman is a reserve driver for Ferrari and Haas powered by Ferrari. He turns 18 on Saturday. He was scheduled to be competing for the Prema team in Formula Two at the Jeddah Corniche track.
Declaring Jeddah one of his favorite courses, the British driver qualified on the top row for the feeder series main race, earning his fourth F2 pole position.
Arturo Merzario, an Italian, is the 97th driver in the history of Ferrari Formula One, having made his debut at the 1972 British Grand Prix with the most prestigious, successful, and well-established team in the sport.
The racer from Chelmsford, who drove a car bearing the number 38, finished tenth in final practice.
This particular number has appeared on a Ferrari twelve times in the past. Mike Hawthorn, the first British champion, drove a Ferrari to victory in 1958.
Sainz missed his media obligations on Wednesday due to illness, but he participated in both of Thursday’s practice sessions for the race on Saturday, finishing the second practice session with the seventh-fastest time.
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion for Mercedes, will replace the Spaniard at Ferrari at the end of the current season.
When Sainz would return was not disclosed by Ferrari. In two weeks, the Australian Grand Prix will take place as the next race on the schedule.
Prior to the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, Alex Albon also suffered from appendicitis. Nyck de Vries replaced him in the Williams vehicle, but the Thai driver was back for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Reporting from Alan Baldwin in London and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Christian Radnedge, and Toby Davis
