Oliver Bearman is testing for Ferrari at Fiorano today following his surprise debut for the team in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old is driving an F1-75 chassis, raced by the team two years ago, at Ferrari’s Fiorano test circuit.
Ferrari is yet to confirm who will partner Charles Leclerc in next week’s race at Melbourne in Australia. Bearman was drafted in last week as a replacement for Carlos Sainz Jnr who was diagnosed with appendicitis and taken to hospital.
Sainz successfully underwent surgery last Friday and returned to the Formula 1 paddock the following day. He intends to resume driving at the first opportunity.
“Everyone did an amazing job to get me back in decent form again, I’m feeling a lot better,” he said on social media. “Obviously now my focus is on recovering and trying to be ready, as you can imagine, for the next race. It will not be easy, it will be tight, but I think I can hopefully make it.”
Speaking after last week’s race Bearman said he hoped Sainz would be back in the car in time for the next round. “It’s his car, and I feel like I shouldn’t be in his car, I should give it back to him so he can have another turn,” he said.
Ferrari confirmed Bearman, who finished seventh in Saturday’s race, is taking part in their “previous car testing programme.” Teams are permitted to conduct these tests using cars which are at least two years old and have not been modified.
Their rivals McLaren are also running a two-old-car car, the MCL36, for Oscar Piastri at Imola today. The team’s reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will take over the car tomorrow. The track, just 70 kilometres away from Fiorano, will host the seventh round of this year’s championship in May.
This article will be updated.
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