- Oliver Bearman called suffering awkward moment after his debut F1 race
- He calls Niko Hulkenberg ‘so slow’ before the German goes behind him
- The teenager finished seventh in his debut race after replacing Carlos Saniz
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Teenager Oliver Bearman may have impressed on his F1 debut, but he may still need to be careful what he says during post-race interviews.
The 18-year-old bowed out in F1 during Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, producing a stunning run to finish seventh.
Bearman finished ahead of Britons Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Nico Hulkenberg, and was asked about his struggle to overtake Hulkenberg during a post-race interview with Sky Sports.
Asked to clarify whether he suggested his car was too slow, Bearman confirmed he told his team Hulkenberg was ‘so slow’.
But while he explained this during the interview, his timing couldn’t have been worse as the German continues to move into shots and pass Bearman in the background.
Oliver Bearman was interviewed by Sky Sports after his debut race in Saudi Arabia
As Bearman explains, Nico Hulkenberg was ‘so slow’ that the German is going behind him in the shootout
Bearman was a late replacement for Carlos Sainz and impressed in his first ever race
Hulkenberg appears to be sending a wink in someone’s direction during the awkward moment, while it’s not clear whether Bearman noticed, despite a noticeably nervous stroking of his forehead.
Bearman’s moment came when he was fast-tracked to the F1 circuit following the late withdrawal of Carlos Sainz – who underwent surgery for appendicitis.
His appearance on the track broke Lando Norris’ record as Britain’s youngest F1 competitor, with the McLaren driver aged 19 years, four months and four days when he made his debut in 2019.
It was also the first time since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix that four British drivers started an F1 race together.
The Ferrari driver finished seventh in Jeddah in what was his first ever F1 Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton hailed ‘phenomenal’ Ollie Bearman as a ‘future star’ after his F1 debut
Bearman claimed six championship points to finish seventh for Ferrari but will now return to junior racing as Sainz prepares to return to the upcoming Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
But according to reports, it is now set to be his last season in the junior ranks, with Haas wanting him to become a permanent fixture in their fold next season.
Ironically, Bearman could replace Hulkenberg in the team, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
Lewis Hamilton praised Bearman after his performance and branded the teenager a future star.
Hamilton said: ‘To be pulled out of your class and put straight into a Ferrari, he did such a phenomenal job. It has shown that he is a really bright future star.’