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He could have been any gangly teenager with A-Levels to sit, 6ft 3in and still growing, yet to fill his long frame.
But 18-year-old Oliver Bearman from Essex faced the examination of his life in the presence of millionaire superstars – thrust in last-minute to compete in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And how he passed with flying colours. He beat Lewis Hamilton, finishing seventh to the motor racing legend’s ninth. And to think, Bearman was just 18 months old when Hamilton won the first of his titles, for McLaren back in 2008. He also beat eighth-placed McLaren’s Lando Norris, another Brit of immense talent.
Bearman, a member of the Ferrari Academy who left his native Chelmsford and grammar school for a different kind of education at Maranello aged 16, was never going to win in the desert for two reasons. First, because Max Verstappen and Red Bull are the deadeye duo. The triple world champion was duly victorious, claiming his 19th win in 20 races across this young season and last, with team-mate Sergio Perez second.
The other reason, and we record this to his glory, because Bearman had only twice taken part in Formula One practice sessions prior to this weekend. He had never driven an F1 car under lights and only knew he was in the hot seat when Carlos Sainz went down with appendicitis.
Max Verstappen took a dominant victory at the Saudi Arabian GP to continue his perfect start to the season
Oliver Bearman took points on his Formula One debut as he finished in seventh place for Ferrari
Bearman did a brilliant job as he stepped in for Carlos Sainz who had surgery for appendicitis
That was on Friday before qualifying, where Bearman claimed 11th place on the grid. ‘No time for nerves,’ he said, an Italian twang discernuible, with a broad smile that seemed never to leave his face from that point onwards.
So he ditched his Formula Two duties, in which had claimed pole prior to his promotion, and there he was suddenly in the most recognisable car on earth. The red machine of Ascari, Lauda, Prost and Schuamcher. Heir to a myth written into the story of Italy.
He stood on the grid, a giant next to RB’s tiny Yuki Tsunoda, as the Saudi national anthem played. Mercedes’ George Russell gave him a friendly tap on the back as the line-up dispersed, perhaps remembering what emotions churned through his own mind when he made his debut in 2019.
That, though, was for Williams and after a probation period of natural duration. This was in a Ferrari, and an emergency call-up at that.
For all the expectation, Bearman was at least displaying an outwardly relaxed countenance as he closed in on the biggest moment of his
