sport news Lewis Hamilton and George Russell congratulate Ferrari wonderkid Oliver Bearman ... trends now
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell went out of their way to congratulate Ferrari sensation and fellow Brit Oliver Bearman on his F1 debut in Saudi Arabia.
The Mercedes drivers waited for him to get out of his car at the end of the race and hugged the 18-year-old from Essex.
Bearman finished seventh in Jeddah after stepping in for Carlos Sainz, who was ruled out of the race with appendicitis.
He even managed to finish ahead of Hamilton, who could only finish ninth on a day where Max Verstappen once again ran out as winner.
Along with Lando Norris, the three made this the first time that four British drivers have started an F1 race together since the 2013 Brazilian GP.
Lewis Hamilton congratulated Oliver Bearman as he got out of his car after the race in Jeddah
George Russell was also on hand to give the 18-year-old some attention after his seventh-placed finish
Bearman, broke Lando Norris' record as Britain's youngest F1 competitor, with the McLaren driver having been 19 years, four months and four days old when he debuted in 2019.
He also becomes the 12th Briton to drive for Ferrari, pipping seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to driver's seat ahead of his arrival next season.
Ferrari's reserve driver, who turns 19 in May, is stepping up from Formula Two for the race weekend in Saudi Arabia - but has already made his impact in Jeddah and has a growing online profile, reportedly dating TikTok star Estelle Oglivy, who has 72,000 followers.
Bearman, driving for Prema, topped the F2 qualifying times at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Thursday but has been withdrawn from their sprint and feature races to make his F1 bow.
It marks a remarkable elevation for Bearman, who will join legends Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on the track this weekend.
He was just 18 months old when Lewis Hamilton made his Formula One debut and was not even born when Alonso, 42, won his first title.
Bearman has shown his exceptional talent from a young age after finishing in the top five in the British Karting GP in 2013, a year after taking up motor racing as an eight-year-old.
He went on to win the Kartmasters British Grand Prix and become the British vice-champion in the cadet class, before moving from cadet to junior level in 2018.
Bearman impressed on his debut F1 weekend as he stepped in for Carlos Sainz, who has had appentidicitis
Bearman, 18, made his transition from karts to cars just four years ago and is a hugely
