Bearman: 'Getting recognition from Hamilton makes me proud'

After his Formula 1 debut, Oliver Bearman had a moment with Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion waited for the young Briton and congratulated him with full praise. Bearman talks about what a moment this was for him.

Because Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had to undergo emergency surgery on his appendix, Oliver Bearman suddenly got the chance to make his F1 debut with Ferrari. This debut was special for several reasons. For one, Bearman is the youngest-ever British Formula 1 debutant and is also the youngest-ever debutant for Ferrari. This special debut, therefore, went unnoticed by several Formula 1 greats. Bearman received a message from his great hero, Sebastian Vettel, before the start of the Grand Prix. After the race, Lewis Hamilton too wanted to show his admiration for the young Briton. Hamilton walked straight to Bearman's car after the race and addressed him there.

For Bearman, this was a very special moment. "I can’t really remember what he said," Bearman said in an interview with The Times. "He shook my hand, gave me a hug, which was a great moment. I’ve grown up watching these guys and to have shared a track with them was just an honour. To have recognition from Lewis, one of the greatest in our sport, was a very proud moment.”

A fun fact to mention here is that Bearman's first game on his Xbox was F1 2012. In it, he had to choose which driver he wanted to be. "I used to always pick Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton," the 18-year-old said. "They were the home heroes."