OLIVER BEARMAN came an impressive P7 finish on his debut Formula One race in Saudi Arabia.
The 18-year-old replaced Carlos Sainz on short notice after the Spaniard underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis.
APOliver Bearman impressed on his F1 debut[/caption]
GettyThe 18-year-old replaced Carlos Sainz at the last minute[/caption]
SplashBearman said the race was ‘fantastic’[/caption]
Chelmsford-born Bearman qualified in P11 for the Jeddah race but managed to move his way up through the field with some impressive overtakes and some handy strategies going in his favour.
Max Verstappen claimed victory number two for the season as Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez finished second amid another weekend where off-track noise around Red Bull has been gargantuan.
Charles Leclerc took the final podium spot from Oscar Piastri in fourth, who had been held up for much of the mid-race by a masterful Lewis Hamilton defence.
Hamilton was joined by Lando Norris in gambling by not pitting under an early safety car caused by Lance Stroll crashing into the wall.
When the pair eventually opted to pit they had come out behind compatriot Bearman.
And despite quicker soft tyres they were unable to close the gap to the Ferrari youngster, who secured a P7 finish behind Fernando Alonso in P5 and George Russell in P6.
The occasion was not lost on F1 fans either, with 48 per cent of the votes going to Bearman as driver of the day.
Bearman also became the first Brit to score points on his F1 debut since Paul de Resta in 2011.
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Norris, Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg completed the points from P8 to P10.
Sensationally Bearman’s six-point haul now means he is P10 in the drivers championship standings.
Hamilton and Russell did not hesitate to go and congratulate Bearman after the race.
The seven-time world champion shared a bearhug with the teen sensation while Russell gave him a handshake.
Bearman described the race as “fantastic” and said he really enjoyed it.
APMax Verstappen celebrated his race win with Christian Horner[/caption]
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