Oliver Bearman might have nailed his F1 debut on the first try after his distinctive debut for Ferrari on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However the teenage sensation didn’t have as a lot luck when trying to cross his driver’s take a look at in the UK.
The 18-year-old jumped into the SF-24 with barely an hour’s discover after Carlos Sainz underwent appendix surgical procedure, and bought within the automobile for the FP3 session earlier than qualifying eleventh in Jeddah.
He then adopted up his spectacular first outing within the Scuderia with an excellent, managed drive to complete seventh and choose up six factors – beating seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton within the course of.
However it wasn’t way back that the Ferrari prodigy failed his driver’s take a look at on the traditional roads on the age of 16. In response to his former driving teacher, the Chelmsford-born teen acquired a ‘main’ fault in opposition to his identify for his “response to visitors lights”.
Bearman employed David Currey, who costs $45-an-hour, for a two-hour lesson earlier than his take a look at after getting in contact on Instagram. On the time, the racer was driving in Components 3 and had a BMW as his highway automobile.
“We did the lesson in his BMW. I felt completely secure though I did not have my foot controls,” Currey mentioned. “He had failed his take a look at earlier than on a traffic-light fault. I’m not positive if it was for working an amber.
“Perhaps he did not cease. Or it may have been how he was positioned on the lights. When he failed he was a bit like, ‘What the hell’. I imply, he has been driving since a child.
“However he was so well mannered and simply wished to learn to cross. He requested a whole lot of questions and appeared very down-to-earth, an awesome lad.”
EFE
Bearman will get the job finished
He would not be denied for too lengthy and, on his second attempt, Bearman handed the take a look at with no main or minor faults.
“When he despatched me a textual content saying he had handed with no minors I wrote, ‘Effectively finished lad!’,” Currey added.
“Oliver despatched me an image of him and his cross certificates. I solely have two or three college students a 12 months that cross with no faults. His dad and household deserve all of the credit score. His highway take a look at was solely a small half however I am proud I helped him cross it.”
Bearman has been tipped for a brilliant future in motorsport and can now return to Prema Racing in Components 2, the place he’ll spend the remainder of the season earlier than weighing up a potential drive in 2025.
