BEARMAN STAKES A SOLID F1 CLAIM
There may be limited testing opportunities in grand prix racing, but each up-and-comer is still better prepared than they would have been in days of yore. Simulators and free practice outings, as well as the rookie test in Abu Dhabi at the end of each year, mean there is mileage to acclimatise. But still, stepping directly from a Formula 2 car into a pukka grand prix machine did nothing but ramp up the spotlight. Eighteen-year-old Briton Oliver Bearman grabbed the opportunity of a lifetime in Saudi Arabia last weekend when he was parachuted into Ferrari at the very last minute to take over the car of the stricken Carlos Sainz. The Chelmsford racer stunned with his mature performance, and it will surely have put him on the shopping list for many teams.
Motorsport News had already recognised Bearman’s potential as he was named as our Rising Star of the Year in 2021. By that stage, the then 16-year-old had just completed his second season of car racing and triumphed in both Italian F4 and the ADAC version in Italy.
Bearman’s rise has been sensational and he looked completely at home during his grand prix debut in Jeddah. But, for now, normal service will be resumed and he will return to Formula 2 for the remainder of the year with Prema. He was sixth in 2023 with four wins to his credit and so there is only one more thing for him to achieve now. F2 success would be just another staging post on what has already been a remarkable career.
In this issue, we include our traditional National Rally Calendar. The painstaking work by Paul Lawrence to compile the ready reckoner fills us with anticipation for the season to come. And what is most sensational is that the UK scene will be crowned by a super-competitive British Rally Championship. More and more drivers are signing up to take part, whether that is for a full season or for part-campaigns, but perhaps the most pleasing aspect, with the recant news that William Creighton will join the ranks as an example, the BRC is attracting just the right kind of competitors. The BRC needs to be a springboard for aspiring talents and, in 2024, it will be just that.
The subject of our readers’ Q&A this week is another competitor with a huge future in front of him, and that is Porsche ace Harry King. The 23-year-old is one of the youngest drivers we have ever put into the readers’ questions hot seat, but he has already shown that he has all the skills to forge a long-term career at the very top of long distance.
He will join a whole raft of exciting young British and Irish talents that are ready to perform at the highest level. As Ollie Bearman proved in Saudi Arabia last weekend, if you are fast enough, you are old enough…