Bearman overjoyed after F1 debut: 'It was a fantastic race!'

Oliver Bearman was more than deservedly named Driver of the Day after his debut in Saudi Arabia. The young Briton crossed the line seventh place in his Ferrari, even ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. For those points, Bearman had to work hard though. After all, the youngster had never driven such a long race.

Yes, he was "a little tired", Bearman told Sky Sports. "You can probably see I don't look my best! was a fantastic race, pushing all the way, I was shocked at how fast we were pushing, getting quicker every lap. That was incredible, and especially at the end when I had the two guys on softs bearing down on me, I couldn't relax. I was always in my mirrors pushing flat out, but it was a really exciting experience."

Bearman went faster and faster

Bearman also commented that the laps went by slowly, as Norris and Hamilton where chasing the Ferrari driver on soft tyres. "I think I did my fastest lap on the last one. I decided to push and see what I could do. It was really fun, and I felt good confidence"

Early in the race, Bearman struggled to overtake Hulkenberg. The youngster experienced first-hand how difficult overtaking ánd chasing in an F1 car is. "Once I got past him, I was able to show my face. It's just really difficult to follow. Especially for me, I'd never followed before, and coming so close to these walls, once you get behind the guy in front, it's difficult, it requires a bit extra precision."