Ollie Bearman admits he’ll always owe Carlos Sainz for his Formula 1 career

Oliver Bearman has been highly regarded since joining the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021 and is now one of the more promising young drivers on the Formula 1 grid.

He got his first taste of F1 action in 2023, driving FP1 for Haas at the Mexico City Grand Prix, before joining the team full-time two years later.

Bearman also took on duties as Ferrari’s reserve driver during that period. Since stepping into a permanent race seat with Haas, he has continued to impress. He finished his rookie season with 41 points and has added another 17 so far in the current campaign.

Ollie Bearman Explains Why He’ll Always Feel Grateful to Carlos Sainz

Bearman was speaking on the Up to Speed podcast when he opened up about why he’ll always feel a sense of gratitude towards Sainz, who played a key role in helping his career get off the ground.

Sainz had been due to race for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but was forced out of the weekend after suffering from appendicitis. That gave Bearman, then Ferrari’s reserve driver, a late call-up and an opportunity he didn’t expect.

Thrown into the seat at short notice, Bearman became the youngest driver ever to compete for Ferrari. Despite qualifying 11th, he finished seventh in what turned out to be a standout performance, finishing ahead of both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.

Reflecting on that moment, Bearman said: “First of all, I will always say to Carlos that I’m in his debt for the rest of my life. It’s only really thanks to him and obviously it was a very tough moment for him.”

“Thanks to that, I was able to get my shot and prove that I was capable of racing in Formula 1 and compete with those guys.”

“I don’t know if I will be in F1 without that race honestly, I wouldn’t like to think what would’ve happened but anyway we’re here and I’m very happy.”

Ollie Bearman opens up about ‘demanding’ debut season in Formula 1

Even though reaching Formula 1 is a major achievement, Bearman was honest about the difficulties of his first year. The physical and mental demands of racing at the top level were a clear step up from what he’d experienced before.

Now in his second season, the young Briton has shown signs of progress. He’s looked more comfortable behind the wheel and more confident in his approach, both on and off the track.

Bearman said: “The first season was very tough, it’s so busy, and those extra 10 races you do in F1 are very long trips, you’re doing all of the American races and more Asian races.

“The travel is a lot more demanding, more marketing days and more media days. These things are all extra, and less time at home, I found that challenging at times.”

His strong start to life in Formula 1 has already led to speculation that he could soon make the step up to Ferrari as Hamilton’s replacement.