F1 News: Oliver Bearman Reveals He Suffered From Pain After Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The Ferrari driver reckoned F2 cars are more comfortable.

Following his Formula 1 debut in Saudi Arabia, Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman opened up about his challenging experience the day after the Grand Prix. As a newcomer to the sport, the British racer gained firsthand insight into the intense G-forces experienced by F1 drivers during the race, navigating a "stiff" F1 car on one of the most demanding tracks like the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. 

Key Takeaways:

• Oliver Bearman, Ferrari reserve driver, discussed his challenging Formula 1 debut after racing at Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Despite an impressive P7 finish, the intense G-forces and demanding track took a toll on his body.
• Bearman's debut, making him the youngest driver in Formula 1, garnered significant attention, even overshadowing Max Verstappen's victory.
• The physical strain of Bearman's debut was evident the next day, with his stiffness noted by F2 colleagues. He emphasized the stark difference in comfort between F1 and F2 cars, highlighting the significant challenges of Formula 1 racing.

Ferrari Press Image

Bearman's impressive run in Jeddah with a P7 finish was the talk of the town, good enough to even overshadow Max Verstappen's victory in Saudi Arabia. After all, the F2 driver was the youngest ever to race in the premier class of motorsport. 

The young driver's struggle from the race day became evident the following day when his F2 colleagues noted his stiffness. Given that he endured forces of up to 5G for approximately 90 minutes and completed 50 laps on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar, the impact on the F1 debutant would have been easily noticeable.

Speaking about the beating his body too during the race, he told the The Times:

Most of the pain was from my lower back. The neck is a given, but Jeddah is one of the most difficult tracks. Even the straights, they twist quite a bit, which doesn’t look much, but when you repeat it 50 times, there’s no rest.

"F1 cars are very tight and not built for comfort. Everything was very last minute. When I made the seat, I didn’t think I’d be having to use it."

Revealing the difference in comfort between an F1 and an F2 car, Bearman added:

"We don’t have as much downforce or G-force in F2, so the strain is much less. But we don’t have power steering in F2, so the steering work is super-heavy. When I’ve finished an F2 race, my arms are usually tired, but apart from that I’m fine. In F1, the steering is very light, but it’s everything else. You’re just getting thrown around. Muscles you don’t feel like you’re engaging, they’re aching the next day.

"It’s exhausting; you lose a lot of water, I couldn’t believe how sweaty I was. It was a big challenge. But I really enjoyed it."

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