Almost one week has passed since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but we’re all still marveling at Oliver Bearman’s extraordinary performance, stepping in at the last minute to replace Carlos Sainz, who was sidelined with appendicitis. With only 60 minutes of practice time to prepare for the Jeddah weekend, the young Ferrari Driver Academy talent already impressed everyone in the qualifying session, missing out on Q3 by just 36 milliseconds.
However, his true masterpiece came during the race on Saturday, as the young Brit redeemed Friday’s disappointment by securing an unexpected seventh place at the finish line, managing the gap to the Lando Norris – Lewis Hamilton duo, the only two at the top of the leaderboard who had chosen a completely different strategy from their rivals.
Yet, if adapting to the incredible speeds of a Formula 1 car on a fast circuit like Jeddah seemed almost child’s play for the 18-year-old from Chelmsford, passing his driving test proved to be more challenging than expected.
The Ferrari driver had to retake the test a second time, after failing his first attempt for a rather bizarre reason: “He contacted me on Instagram because I live in his family’s village,” David Currey told in a recent interview for British tabloid newspaper The Sun.
“From his photos, I understood that he was an F3 driver at the time. We did the lesson in his BMW. I felt absolutely confident, even though I didn’t have pedal controls.” – David Currey explained.
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“He hadn’t passed the test previously due to a mishap at a traffic light. I’m not sure if it was for running a yellow light. Maybe he didn’t stop, or it could have been the way he positioned himself at the traffic light. I mean, he’s been driving since he was a child. He was really polite and just wanted to learn how to pass the test. He asked a lot of questions and seemed like a down-to-earth guy, a great kid.” – the driving instructor pointed out.
Fortunately, the second attempt was successful as hoped: “When he sent me a message saying he had passed without any minors, I wrote back: ‘Well done, lad!’
“Oliver sent me a photo of him and his certificate. I only have two or three students a year who pass without any faults. His father and his family deserve all the credit. His road test was just a small part, but I’m proud to have helped him through it.” – David Currey concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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