OLIVER BEARMAN narrowly missed out on making Q3 on his Formula One debut in Saudi Arabia.
The teen will start P11 in Saturday’s race after an impressive qualifier.
Bearman was a late call up to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz withdrew due to injury.
But he impressed in qualifying and almost made Q3, which would have given him a chance to place higher on the grid.
Bearman lost out to compatriot Sir Lewis Hamilton but his team bosses offered encouragement as he finished.
One said: “That was a good lap, good last sector.”
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The 18-year-old replied: “Sorry.”
Bearman missed out on Q2 by just 0.036 seconds, with the teen describing it as a “messy session”.
His team responded saying: “It was a tough one. Super difficult.”
Bearman’s team-mate Charles Leclerc also impressed and qualified for Saturday’s race in second place on the grid, with Max Verstappen taking pole.
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But for Bearman it is all a learning experience with the Essex youngster set to become Britain’s youngest ever Formula 1 driver.
He will also be the first Brit to represent Ferrari since Eddie Irvine in 1999.
After qualifying Bearman said: “I woke up this morning fully prepared for my F2 race and I got the call late in the day, just a few hours before FP3 that I would be doing it.
“Not the circumstance I would wish to be making my F1 debut. I wish the best to Carlos and I hope he recovers well but this is a great opportunity.
“I honestly did not have time to get nervous, because I did not have time and it was so late that I needed to get ready to go out on track and make up for lost time.
“That made my life a little more difficult and I was flat out with the engineers trying to figure everything out to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
“I have honestly spoken to no one since the announcement, my phone is going crazy but I will try and have a chat with my mum tonight.
“I think my dad was in the garage but I did not see him at all. I was in the car and then in the garage and back in the car.
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“It has been such a quick progression in my career. Two years ago I was still in F4 and I only did my first F1 test three or four months ago.
“So it has been a quick progression. And to make my F1 debut in red, hopefully it is a sign to come.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
