Who is Oliver Bearman – Ferrari’s youngest-ever F1 driver at 18? The British racing driver just made a stellar debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, even coming ahead of Lewis Hamilton

Mar 17, 2024

Meet the 18-year-old Brit who everyone’s talking about, F1 star Ollie Bearman. Photo: @olliebearman/Instagram

Those who keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One and its drivers will already know who Oliver Bearman is, because the 18-year-old just made his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The opportunity came when he was asked by Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz, who had appendicitis and couldn’t compete, making him the car company’s youngest-ever F1 driver

Those who keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One and its drivers have probably come across Oliver Bearman by now. That’s because he just made his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 9 – and boy did he make an impression.

Coming in seventh position in the race, Tatler noted that he scored six points for Ferrari and even came ahead of fellow Brit racing driver – and one of the best drivers of all time – Lewis Hamilton.

Oliver Bearman was asked to replace F1 racing driver Carlos Sainz at the last minute. Photo: @olliebearman/Instagram

And did we mention that he’s only 18 years old, making him the youngest Briton to start a grand prix, according to the BBC. The same source states that the opportunity came when he was asked by Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz, who was suddenly discovered to be suffering from appendicitis. Per Sky Sports, Bearman is therefore Ferrari’s youngest-ever F1 driver.

It’s always exciting to see a talented newbie enter the sport. Here’s what we know about him so far:

Where is Oliver Bearman from?

Oliver Bearman is 18 years old, and will turn 19 this spring. Photo: @olliebearman/Instagram

Oliver Bearman was born on 8 May 2005 and grew up in Chelmsford, in the oft-maligned county of Essex, England. According to his profile on the Ferrari website, he first tried his hand at karting when he was about eight years old.

He told FIA Formula 2 that Chelmsford is his home. “I was born a bit closer to London, but Chelmsford is where we moved when I was around six years old, and I’ve lived there for the majority of my life. It’s a lovely town. Where we live now is a bit more old-fashioned and quaint, which is quite nice. The weather’s not amazing, but in the summer it’s lovely, with some nice countryside so it’s perfect.”

He’s been in the F2 until now …

Ollie Bearman grew up in a town outside London. Photo: @olliebearman/Instagram

So far, he has competed in 90 races and won 22 times according to his profile on Ferrari. The 18 year old has been sitting pretty in the Formula 2 – the second tier racing competition where drivers spend time working on and developing their racing styles, per RedBull. So when he smashed his Formula One debut in Saudi, the world’s press couldn’t wait to hear his reaction.