“I’ve Never Had to Use the ERS:” Oliver Bearman Blames His Lack of Experience for Getting Stuck Behind Nico Hulkenberg at Jeddah

There have been quite a few impressive first performances in Formula 1 history over the years. Lewis Hamilton‘s podium on his debut with McLaren, and Max Verstappen‘s win at Barcelona with Red Bull are a few that spring to mind. And Oliver Bearman’s debut with Ferrari is right up there amongst the best. With Red Bull dominating the racing scene and facing controversies outside the circuits, Bearman’s unexpected rise brought a breath of fresh air to Formula 1. However, there was one aspect of his race on Saturday that the Brit thinks held him back from scoring an even better result than P7 at Jeddah.

Bearman’s opportunity arose due to unfortunate circumstances for Carlos Sainz, who required surgery for appendicitis, leaving a vacancy in the Ferrari team. At just 18 years old, Bearman found himself thrust into one of the most coveted seats in motorsport. Despite his youth and lack of experience, he rose to the occasion admirably, showcasing remarkable composure and skill throughout the weekend.

Oliver Bearman reflecting on ‘overtaking slower cars’

Having missed on Q3 during qualifying on Friday meant that Bearman was starting outside of points-paying positions on Saturday. He quickly made his way into the points by overtaking the cars ahead of him. However, the 18-year-old believes that his lack of experience in using the Energy store efficiently caused him a few positions in the race as he was not able to overtake the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg as quickly as he would have liked.

In a recent clip shared by Ferrari looking back at Bearman’s impressive debut, the Brit explained how he was stuck behind the Haas. “I lost quite a lot of time trying to overtake slower cars. Just not using my battery in the most efficient way because it’s new. I’ve never had to use the ERS in an offensive or defensive way. So it was the first time for me and I maybe wasn’t the best with it, especially with Nico [Hulkenberg] who did a great job keeping me back.“

Carlos Sainz’s race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, who was assisting Ollie Bearman in the race, echoed the sentiment saying, “We literally experienced the overtaking button what we call it just in the laps to the green for the very first time for him. So to figure out how to overtake Nico Hulkenberg in the race, it took him a couple of laps to understand exactly how to to manage the whole thing. He managed it quite nicely.”

READ MORE: Oliver Bearman’s Father Joins Brit’s Le Mans Dream Team Alongside Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

Despite impressing everyone in the paddock with his debut, Ollie Bearman suggests that the circumstances of his step up to Formula 1 were not ideal.

Bearman grateful for the not-so-ideal F1 debut

Ollie Bearman expressed gratitude towards getting his first-ever opportunity to drive in Formula 1. However, he felt that the occasion was not ideal as he was called in as a replacement for a certain sick Spaniard.

“When I got the call that I would be doing F1. It was quite a surprise and quite a happy surprise, of course. Not the circumstances that I wanted to make my debut, through the misfortune of someone else but still it was a great opportunity.”

Do you think Oliver Bearman has put himself front and center for a permanent promotion to Formula 1 in 2025? If so, which team do you think he’s most likely to go to? Share your insights in the comments down below.