Questions raised by Bearman's performance in Jeddah

At the start of the season marked by the specter of a new campaign of ultra-domination of the ticket Verstappen-Red Bull, the beautiful story of Ollie Bearman in Jeddah was the little treat of the weekend. The Briton, only 18 years old, did not dismount by jumping into the SF-24 at short notice from EL3, due to the emergency appendicitis operation undergone by the holder Carlos Sainz. Result ? An elimination in Q2 by only 36 thousandths of a second, before an impressive 7th place the next day in the race, ahead of Lando Norris et Lewis Hamilton, among others. Besides the beautiful story which pleased the most romantic among us, this performance leads us to three questions.

1. Is Oliver Bearman ready for F1?

Yes. And this is also the first lesson. In Jeddah, in very precarious conditions and on a demanding circuit, the Briton showed that his talent and adaptability were great enough to not make a mark on the grid in the premier category, despite his 18 years and only one practice session. free in the bag. Imagine what he could be capable of achieving in a year, with proper preparation!

A baptism of fire for Ollie Bearman but he rose to the occasion 🤩#F1 #SaudiArabianGP @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/FtBZr7obVF

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 10, 2024

All this was only half a surprise anyway, the Englishman having proven in recent years that his potential was gigantic. German and Italian F4 champion in 2021 (first driver in history to achieve this), the kid then impressed in F3 (3rd) despite being 16 years old, before signing the most victorious weekend in the history of the F2 in Baku in 2023.

Praised by Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Frédéric Vasseur, Ollie Bearman also received the compliments of Ayao Komatsu, the main team of Haas, with whom he took part in two young driver free practice sessions last year. The Japanese congratulated his reservist by slipping that he had “the complete package” of the very good F1 driver. Expected for several months to succeed Magnussen ou Hulkenberg (who will reach the end of their contract at the end of the season) next year, Bearman scored additional points in this sense!

2. Has F1 become too simple?

The question is intentionally provocative, but the (apparent) ease with which Ollie played the firefighter on duty in Jeddah shows that it clearly deserves to be asked. From his first laps in EL3, Bearman impressed the big names on the grid, immediately setting remarkable times, often less than half a second behind Charles Leclerc. Has the queen discipline become too accessible? Has the general level fallen too much, with the exception of confirmed sizes? The multiplication of technologies, particularly at the wheel, has undoubtedly contributed to a certain complexity of F1, while paradoxically making the discipline more accessible in terms of pure driving, especially for kids conditioned increasingly earlier and better prepared than Never.

Lewis Hamilton himself complained in 2019 about the lack of physicality in the discipline: “We are no longer tired after a race, because the cars are relatively easy to drive now. It's not a sport where, like cycling, you need high blood volume. » It's no surprise that the beginners jumping into single-seaters at the last minute over the last two years have all done wonderfully. Remember to Nyck de Vries. Before sinking with Alpha Tauri in 2023, the Dutchman replaced Alex Albon in Monza at Williams the previous year, and achieved the feat of bringing back the two points for 9th place the next day in the race! Same thing for Liam Lawson in 2023, author of the best result of the season in Singapore…

3. Are F2 drivers underrated?

The other reality of Bearman's strong performance is that Formula 2 is arguably too underrated. It must be said that since the accession to F1 of the trio Russell – Norris – Albon in 2019, few have managed to move up to the premier category from the antechamber championship.

On merit, alone Mick Schumacher, Yuki tsunoda et Oscar piastri achieved it. Conversely, champions of the category were shunned, such as Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire. Given the competitiveness and the gap between the cars, being consistent in Formula 2 is almost more deserving than succeeding in F1, where the differences in performance can sometimes be abysmal.

The successes of Bearman in Jeddah, 6th in F2 in 2023, and Lawson in Zandvoort, 3rd in F2 in 2022, should not be downplayed, but they prove that excellent Formula 2 drivers would all be able to be competitive if the chance was given to them. Especially now that F1 has made it compulsory for young drivers to be present during at least two free practice sessions!

ALSO READ > The fabulous story of Oliver Bearman in Jeddah