Oliver Bearman makes Ferrari F1 debut after Carlos Sainz hit by appendicitis

British teenager Oliver Bearman is set to make his highly anticipated Formula 1 debut in an unprecedented manner this Saturday. With Ferrari's regular driver Carlos Sainz unable to participate in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis, Bearman will step in as the youngest rookie ever for the renowned team.

Ferrari announced on Friday that Sainz, who secured a third-place finish in the Bahrain season-opener last weekend and was the last driver to defeat the dominant Red Bull with a victory in Singapore last September, would undergo surgery.

Bearman, who will make his racing debut at the age of 18 years and 306 days, serves as the reserve driver for both Ferrari and Ferrari-powered Haas. He would have been competing for the Prema team in Formula Two at the Jeddah Corniche circuit.

The British driver had achieved pole position for the feature race in the feeder series, marking his fourth F2 pole. He expressed his fondness for the Jeddah track after the qualifying session.

Bearman becomes the 97th driver to represent Ferrari in Formula One and the first to debut with the team since Italian Arturo Merzario in 1972 at the British Grand Prix. Ferrari, being the oldest, most successful, and glamorous team in the sport, welcomes the young talent.

During the final practice session on Friday, Bearman took to the track with the number 38 on his car. This number has been associated with Ferrari in the past, including its use by Britain's first champion, Mike Hawthorn.

Hawthorn clinched his championship title with Ferrari in 1958.

Sainz had experienced illness on Wednesday, leading him to skip his media obligations. However, he participated in Thursday's practice sessions for the upcoming race and recorded the seventh fastest time in the second session.

The Spaniard will be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season, with Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton set to take his place next year.

Ferrari did not provide a specific timeline for Sainz's return. The next race on the calendar is the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in two weeks' time.

In a similar incident, Alex Albon also faced appendicitis prior to the Italian Grand Prix in 2022. As a result, Nyck de Vries substituted for him in the Williams car. However, Albon made a comeback for the subsequent race in Singapore.