F1 driver admits shock after emergency call to replace Ferrari superstar

An F1 racer has revealed what it was like to be called up to replace a Ferrari superstar.

Ollie Bearman is now a full-time racer at Haas, and has had a respectable rookie season, but his first race in the sport came all the way back at the start of the 2024 season.

Bearman was called upon at short notice to replace Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, after the Spaniard had to be rushed to hospital to have his appendix out.

The young Brit excelled, finishing seventh in his debut race despite only having got the call that he would be driving the car in qualifying and the race on the Saturday morning before FP3.

It was arguably that race that gained him a full-time seat on the grid for 2025, with Haas taking him off Ferrari's hands due to the strong relationship that the two teams share.

Now, Bearman has revealed what it was like to receive the call to make his F1 debut at such short notice.

"I hadn't even had time to process my emotions, because there were so many things I had to learn," he told FormulaPassion.It. "On the other hand, I was happy with what I had managed to do. I was proud of myself for what I had achieved. I hope to wear red again one day."

Bearman's continued rise

Following that debut, Bearman would have another opportunity to race in the sport in 2024, when Haas racer Kevin Magnussen was banned from the Azerbaijan GP for picking up too many penalty points.

That allowed the young Brit to race with Haas for the first time, and he instantly made an impression, becoming the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two grand prix starts by finishing 10th.

Now, he's over halfway through his rookie season, and Bearman is sat 17th in the drivers' championship with 16 points from 16 races.

He continued: "On the one hand, a top team has many more resources, there's no denying that. There are more opportunities and more staff. For example, at Ferrari there was a driver coach to help me with driving and with the gear shifts in the car, something we don't have at Haas.

"We're a small organisation, we don't have that. I miss it and am basically coaching myself, but that's the reality of working in a smaller team. On the other hand, we have much less pressure, even though I put a lot of it on myself and set the bar very high."

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