Ivan Capelli impressed by Ollie Bearman: "He made a masterpiece!"

Ivan Capelli impressed by Ollie Bearman: “He made a masterpiece!” | 2024 Saudi Arabia GP. Ivan Capelli impressed by Ollie Bearman in F1 debut at Jeddah.

Oliver Bearman and his “small masterpiece” in the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have impressed Ivan Capelli. The former Ferrari driver has spoken highly of the British talent, who replaced Carlos Sainz. The appendicitis that halted the Spanish driver turned out to be a golden opportunity for the Ferrrari Academy youngster, promoted to the main team after clinching pole in Formula 2 at the Jeddah circuit.

Precise, composed, and fast: three words to describe Oliver Bearman’s first experience in a Formula 1 race. The Ferrari Driver Academy member, born in 2005, astonished the motorsport world with a stellar performance. After just one practice session to adapt to the SF-24 single-seater, a few hours after securing pole in F2, the Englishman narrowly missed a sensational Q3 by a few thousandths.

In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday, starting in eleventh, he perfectly seized the opportunities presented to climb the ranks to seventh place. The Grand Prix finale, with a distant defense against Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, bears the signature of “Ollie” on a dream race. Oliver Bearman, in Saudi Arabia, has won over professionals and fans, who have elected him “Driver of The Day.”

“He made a small masterpiece – commented Ivan Capelli to Sky Sport’s microphones at the end of the race – He knew how to handle the tension and a very challenging start, obviously, in the midst of the pack. Most importantly, he managed to handle his emotions. He perfectly handled critical moments, from the pit stop to the Safety Car; there were no mistakes.” – the former Ferrari driver pointed out.

The Englishman is very close to a seat at Haas in 2025, but it is unlikely that he will remain in Formula 2 for another year even if he doesn’t get. Already in 2023, he had proven to be the most prepared among the reserves of the feeder series during the Free Practice sessions allowed for young drivers. A driver for Prema, with teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, he is among the brightest talents for the motorsport future.