Bearman calls Ferrari debut in Jeddah a brutal F1 reality check

Ollie Bearman described his surprise Ferrari debut in Jeddah as a brutal reality check after Carlos Sainz was ruled out with appendicitis. He had roughly one hour of practice in the SF-24 before his first FP3 run, which he said felt about 12 seconds faster than his Formula 2 pole lap and left his neck "gone" and the jump from F2 to F1 "hurt." Teammate Esteban Ocon echoed that no amount of preparation can fully replicate F1's demands. Practice and FP3 sessions carry no direct championship points.

Bearman qualified 11th at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, missing Q3 by 0.036 seconds, a result that set his Race starting position but did not award championship points. In the Race he finished seventh, holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, becoming the youngest driver to race for Ferrari. His seventh-place finish scored championship points that contributed to both his driver standings and Ferrari's constructor standings. The SF-24, a race-winning, title-challenging car during 2024, provided a competitive platform for the high-pressure outing.

The Jeddah performance raised Bearman's profile and helped pave the way to a confirmed full-time seat with Haas for 2025. The night race increased his stock, and he later made a strong impression in his 2025 rookie season.