Max Verstappen offers kind words to Oliver Bearman, who almost knocked out Lewis Hamilton on his F1 debut

A rising star has recently appeared in the motorsports arena, quickly establishing himself as one of the most formidable competitors on the grid, despite starting as a mere rookie at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This phenomenal talent goes by the name of Oliver Bearman.

The British driver delivered an outstanding performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, earning praises from experienced Formula 1 drivers as well.

Oliver Bearman almost knocked out Lewis Hamilton

Despite starting off as a mere rookie, Oliver Bearman has accomplished a successful driving session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, leaving everyone highly impressed by his driving skills.

However, what truly caught the attention of the spectators was Bearman’s ability to challenge the seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, till the very end of Q3. The spectators had shown great support for the young talent, potentially linking him as the next driver of Mercedes due to his incredible abilities to adapt to the circuit.

At the end of the session, after an intense battle with the drivers on the track, Bearman qualified in the 11th position but missed out on a place in the final qualifying for merely 0.036 seconds, securing the place right behind the reigning world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton has also acknowledged the great potential of the star driver by stating, “To have to jump in without doing [much] practice, like he has, it was mega. I’m impressed. It just shows what a talent he has. I know how tough it was but he got confidence in it straight away.”

Max Verstappen issues kind words for Oliver Bearman

Three-time World Champion Max Verstappen has too applauded Bearman for being able to stand out as a reserve driver, despite having minimal Formula 1 experience.

Although the young British driver was slightly disappointed with his “messy” performance, Verstappen has openly supported him by stating, “What Ollie has done has been very, very impressive.”

“I watched his first few] laps in practice because that is where you can judge if someone is comfortable in the car, and by lap two or three, I thought, ‘that is a strong start’, and to be 11th and only six tenths off the pole at the time, is more than you could have asked for.”

Do you think Bearman will prove to be the next Max Verstappen in the upcoming years? Tell us about your opinions in the comment section below.