A big blow for Scuderia Ferrari team as their Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has been ruled out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix ahead of the qualifying round of the second race of the ongoing Formula 1 (F1) season in Jeddah on Friday, March 8.
Sainz has been diagnosed with Appendicitis and is likely to remain out of this F1 season for few weeks as he will undergo surgery. The 29-year-old was absent from a traditional pre-race event in Jeddah on Wednesday and returned to the hotel complaining of feeling unwell after a brief presence at the track.
However, Sainz returned to track for the initial two practice sessions ahead of the qualifying round of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Thursday despite he was still suffering from uneasiness. However, Ferrari team confirmed that Carlos Sainz has been ruled out of the second race of F1 2024 in Jeddah.
With Carlos Sainz being ruled out, Scuderia Ferrari called up British F2 driver Oliver Bearman as a replacement for Spanish driver.
Carlos Sainz recently finished third behind Red Bull Racing Team's Max Verstappen and George Russell of Mercedes in the F1 season opener at Bahrain Grand Prix . The Ferrari driver was one of the favourites alongside defending champion Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing Team's Max Verstappen, Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Oliver Bearman set to make F1 debut
Young British racer Oliver Bearman is set to make his Formula 1 (F1) debut when he take the track for Scuderia Ferrari in the qualifying round of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 in Jeddah.
The 18-year-old is currently member of Prema Racing in Formula 2 and serves as a reserve driver for Ferrari and Haas Team. Oliver Bearman made his F2 debut for Prema Racing in 2023. In his debut season, Oliver Bearman earned six wins and made it to podium six times.
Bearman started off his racing career in Formula 4, representing US Racing in 2020. In 2021, he moved to Van Amersfoort Racing and won German and Italian F4 Championships titles. That year, in October, Bearman graduated to Formula 3, representing Prema Racing and finished third in the Drivers' Championship.
In 2023, Oliver Bearman made his Formula 2 debut at Sakhir Formula 2 round in Bahrain. That year, he recorded four wins of the F2 season. In 2024, Bearman was announced as reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari for the ongoing F1 season. A year before, in October 2023, the British driver made his F1 debut in a F1 car during private test with Ferrari at Fiorano Circuit.
