WATCH: Lewis Hamilton congratulates 18-year-old Oliver Bearman for scoring points on F1 debut with classy gesture during the cooldown lap

Oliver Bearman finished in P7 on his F1 debut and was voted the Drive of the Day.

WATCH: Lewis Hamilton congratulates 18-year-old Oliver Bearman for scoring points on F1 debut with classy gesture during the cooldown lap

Lewis Hamilton [L] Oliver Bearman [R] Lewis Hamilton congratulates Oliver Bearman during cooldown lap

Oliver Bearman was called up by Ferrari to fill in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian GP. The Briton abandoned his F2 campaign for the weekend to make his F1 debut. The 18-year-old delivered an impressive result in Qualifying after putting the car in P11 for the race. Bearman managed to showcase his skills in the race which garnered praise from Lewis Hamilton.

The British driver went wheel-to-wheel against several drivers in his first-ever F1 race. The 18-year-old impressed the viewers and finished the race in P7. Subsequently, Oliver Bearman was voted the Driver of the Day by fans by the chequered flag.

Lewis Hamilton was happy to see Bearman’s drive at the Saudi Arabian GP. Previously, the seven-time world champion had claimed that he could not have made his F1 debut at the same age as Bearman. As shown in a clip, Hamilton even drove alongside the 18-year-old in the cooldown lap to congratulate him.

The Mercedes driver waved to Bearman and even raised his fist to applaud the performance of the 18-year-old. Lewis Hamilton even greeted the Ferrari driver in Parc Ferme in what was an impressive debut outing at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Lewis Hamilton wanted to give a warm reception to Oliver Bearman on F1 debut

After the Saudi Arabian GP, Lewis Hamilton opened up about his interaction with the 18-year-old. The seven-time world champion claimed that he wanted to show gratitude to Oliver Bearman on his F1 debut. Hamilton even recalled his own rookie season in the sport when he did not receive the best reception from his colleagues.

It's respect between drivers. I remember what happened when I arrived in F1, I didn't necessarily feel welcomed by people, so I wanted to make sure I showed him my gratitude.
Lewis Hamilton told Canal+ (H&T: @Secteur_F1/X
Oliver Bearman
Oliver Bearman

Moreover, the Mercedes driver praised Bearman for an incredible effort in his Jeddah outing. Lewis Hamilton claimed that the 18-year-old proved that he could be a great driver in the coming years. Potentially when the F2 driver gets a full-time seat in Formula 1.

It’s a fantastic effort to achieve what he’s done. It’s real proof that he’s a great driver for the future.

Certainly, Oliver Bearman has made his mark at the pinnacle of motorsport this weekend. The Briton will be in the limelight for a potential F1 seat in the future. However, as Bearman heads back to F2 after his outing in Jeddah, fans would be hoping to see the 18-year-old clinch the title in his rookie season.

In case you missed it: