F1
A week after his debut, Oliver Bearman still impresses Jock Clear: “I’ve never seen anything like it”
Oliver Bearman scored points in Jeddah (7th). Photo DPPI / F. Le Floc'h
A week has passed since his impeccable performance in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Oliver Bearman remains in the memories of the staff of the Team Ferrari. Starting with Jock Clear. The Director of the Ferrari Driver Academy since February 2024, who has accompanied many young talents in their discovery of the house of the Prancing Horse (Charles Leclerc notably), was amazed by the English driver, who finished the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in seventh place.
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“I couldn't have asked for a better weekend for Ollie, he declared to the the F1 Nation podcast. The pressure on him in Q2 was great, after he flattened his first set of tyres. This is where we see that it is a different level (of the F2 in which Bearman participates. Editor’s note) and that's when it could have gone wrong. But he did a great job finishing 11th. It was beyond our expectations. »
During the race, Jock Clear observed mature behavior from the 18-year-old. “We said to ourselves that if he got to the first lap with all four wheels still on, we would be very happy. That's what he did. He was still in 11th place. Admittedly, each lap of the race represented 10% more experience for Ollie in this car; when he reached the halfway point of the race, he had doubled his experience in this car. He learned very quickly, but he never overworked himself. I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of from him. »
The British engineer particularly appreciated the serenity of the rookie during the last laps, where he had to compete with much more experienced men like Lando Norris (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes).
“With Lando and Lewis coming at you with a new set of soft tires, you think that's where he's going to lock up in Turn 1, but he didn't. He kept the pace, and even got faster and faster towards the end of the race. I think his best lap was achieved on the penultimate lap! This is very intelligent driving, this has always been his strength and it will improve. »
Finally, when asked if this was the best debut he had seen in his long career in F1 (30 years old), Clear replied: « This guy is only 18, so at this level, having just come out of an F2 car at 18, I had never seen anything like this. »
Medhi Casaurang
Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
18/03/2024 at 11:34 a.m.
And he has seen some beginners pass by, Jock CLEAR!!