Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz‘s sudden case of appendicitis following Thursday’s (March 7) practice sessions for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix paved the way for 18-year-old Formula 2 regular Oliver Bearman to make a shock Formula 1 debut for the Scuderia.
With only one practice session in the SF-24 around the challenging Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Briton was able to qualify 11th and finish the Grand Prix in a solid seventh place, handily holding off his countrymen Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps. Bearman was the talk of the paddock, with everyone seeming to have something positive to say about the young pilot’s future in the series.
But the F1 driver market isn’t so simple. The Pit Straight co-hosts Alex Gintz and Jack Swansey reunite to identify some of the obstacles that stand between Bearman and one of the 20 most fought-over contracts in motorsports.
The Pit Straight is Frontstretch‘s open-wheel racing podcast, available during the racing season weekly on Tuesdays on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and right here on the web.
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Alex is the IndyCar Content Director at Frontstretch, having initially joined as an entry-level contributor in 2021. He also serves as Managing Director of The Asia Cable, a publication focused on the international affairs and politics of the Asia-Pacific region which he co-founded in 2023. With previous experience in China, Japan and Poland, Alex is particularly passionate about the international realm of motorsport and the politics that make the wheels turn - literally - behind the scenes.