When full-time Scuderia driver Carlos Sainz required surgical procedure for appendicitis, crew reserve driver and FIA F2 racer Bearman was known as upon to accomplice Charles Leclerc from FP3 onwards.
The 2-time Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Younger Driver Award finalist narrowly missed out on a Q3 look in qualifying earlier than lining up in 11th. He completed the Jeddah contest in seventh – with Leclerc scoring third – after a string of neatly executed overtakes, most notably dummying RB driver Yuki Tsunoda into Flip 1.
Bearman, 18, was despatched many ‘good luck’ and congratulatory messages over the weekend, together with from ex-Ferrari driver and four-time F1 world champion Vettel, who retired from racing with Aston Martin on the finish of 2022.
The younger Brit stated: “I did get numerous congratulations and likewise good luck messages earlier than the race.
“My favorite one was from Sebastian Vettel. I’m an enormous fan of his because the early days. I used to be, up till he retired, at all times routing for Seb. So, to get a message from him was actually particular.
“To know that he was form of watching put a little bit of strain on, but it surely was a pleasant strain.”
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, in 2019
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali additionally bought in touch. Bearman added: “He despatched me a very nice message after the race, which was actually pleased.
“And I bought a hug from Lewis [Hamilton] as nicely after the race. That was good that he form of recognised the race for me. That was a proud second for myself.”
Bearman additionally reckoned getting an perception into the extent of “admin” concerned in racing in F1 has been a significant shock from his cameo look.
He continued: “I feel the factor that stunned me essentially the most about an F1 weekend was the quantity of admin that goes on – there’s a lot media actions, a lot extra technical stuff than we’ve in F2.
“So, for a race at 8pm, I used to be already on monitor at lunch time to organize. The times are very, very lengthy, stuffed with onerous work. That was a shock, however a cheerful one.”
He additionally praised the accuracy of the Ferrari simulator for permitting him to swiftly adapt to all the in-car procedures and settings changes.