Oliver Bearman reveals ‘copying’ Charles Leclerc was his ‘goal’ during shock Saudi Arabia F1 debut

Charles Leclerc has been a tireless performer for the Ferrari Formula 1 team since the 2019 season of the sport.

Oliver Bearman reveals ‘copying’ Charles Leclerc was his ‘goal’ during shock Saudi Arabia F1 debut

Oliver Bearman and Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

British youngster Oliver Bearman has revealed his appreciation for Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Bearman made his debut Formula 1 run this season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, filling in for an unwell Carlos Sainz.

Oliver Bearman’s performance at Jeddah was commendable in his very first Formula 1 outing. He finished P7 in the race, which turned the heads of many drivers and various other esteemed personnel on the grid.

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Bearman has since claimed that he wished to copy Charles Leclerc‘s style of driving during the race at Jeddah. The 19-year-old was especially confident in Leclerc’s ability, deeming him the best qualifier in the sport.

FS Video

Just having him to compare to especially in qualifying you know that he’s the best qualifier especially at the moment. You know that he’s gonna get it right so just trying to copy what he’s doing. That was my goal.

Oliver Bearman said on F1 Beyond the Grid podcast

The British youngster’s performance earned him a seat with the Haas F1 team for 2025. He raced at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix as well, further cementing his capabilities as a true talent at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Ferrari not in a position to win the championship based on pure pace

Ferrari showed signs of rejuvenation after having won the Italian Grand Prix in thunderous fashion earlier this month. However, the team’s outcome at the Singapore GP was a different story, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished P5 and P7, respectively.

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

I think if we keep being consistent and not having too many missed opportunities, we will do the count at the end and hopefully we’ll be enough to get the Constructors’ [title]. But on pure pace, I don’t think we are yet at the level to fight for the Constructors. I don’t see ourselves too much in the fight, but if they make mistakes then we might end up in the fight like we are now.

Charles Leclerc via motorsportweek

Leclerc has urged his team to remain consistent with their efforts to deserve a chance to secure the constructors’ championship. The Monegasque then cited that McLaren and Red Bull need to make mistakes for Ferrari to gain an advantage.

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Fernando Alonso claims Ferrari deserved to win Singapore GP
Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)

The Mararnello-based team had an extremely mixed bag of results after the summer break. The ongoing month-long break before the US Grand Prix will be immensely crucial for them to resolve issues and find their pace.