British 18-year-old Oliver Bearman will step in to drive for Ferrari in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Spanish driver Carlos Sainz underwent successful surgery for appendicitis. Sainz missed his media duties on Wednesday due to illness, but he did take part in both of Thursday’s practice sessions in Jeddah. However, Ferrari announced prior to Friday’s final practice and qualifying that the Spaniard had been diagnosed with appendicitis.
Oliver Bearman, who has been a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, performed admirably during final practice, securing 10th place ahead of the qualifying session. Following this news, Bearman, who is just 18 years old, was given the chance to race for Ferrari in place of the ailing Carlos Sainz for this weekend’s Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.
“Carlos has successfully undergone surgery,” Ferrari stated in a release after Bearman’s practice session. “The procedure was successful, and he is currently recuperating at the hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery.” It’s certainly an unexpected turn of events for the Ferrari team, but they are rallying behind their driver and hoping for his swift return to the track.
Bearman, who previously participated in practice sessions for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi last season, had an impressive showing this weekend, even securing pole position in Thursday’s F2 qualifying session. Despite this, he will not be competing in the feeder series’ races for the remainder of the weekend.
The young Prema driver finished sixth in his debut F2 campaign in 2023, securing three feature race wins and one sprint race win. Racing with the number 38, Bearman becomes the 14th British driver to race for Ferrari in F1 and the first since Eddie Irvine’s departure from the team in 2000.
This sudden change in Ferrari’s lineup comes as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is set to join the Italian team in 2025, taking Sainz’s place. Despite Sainz’s absence, his impressive third-place finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend remains a testament to his skill and determination.
Notably, Sainz is the second F1 driver in the past two years to miss a race due to appendicitis, following Williams driver Alex Albon being ruled out of the 2022 Italian Grand Prix with the same illness. This serves as a reminder of the physical toll and unexpected challenges that F1 drivers may face in the course of their competitive careers.
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