Carlos Sainz said that he “feels ready” but might ‘not be 100% fit’ for the Australian Grand Prix. In such a case, there is still a possibility of Oliver Bearman continuing his debut stint at Melbourne. Home heroes Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo have gone all out in showing their appreciation for the 18-year-old. Moreover, if Sainz does have to sit out the race, Bearman could be fighting for points against the crowd-favorite Aussies.

A P7 finish for a rookie on debut to grab 6 points for the team–that’s rarely heard of. And this is exactly what Bearman achieved through sheer grit. He left the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in the dust. Coming into the Australian GP race weekend, the man he replaced, Sainz is yet to give a final decision about his participation. But getting the stamp of approval from the home heroes must surely make the young Briton proud.

“I think he did, obviously, a tremendous job,” Ricciardo said in the Thursday press conference. “Probably the way I view it as well is when there are only 20 of us on the grid, there is obviously a lot more talent than just 20. So that’s where you see someone like Ollie, who obviously has a lot of talent and, yeah, he had that opportunity to show it and he did really well. I think everyone recognized that.”

The VCARB Racer was also impressed by Bearman’s performance, which was not just limited to the practice sessions. “It’s not easy because there’s… It’s like any sport, you can be the best in practice but when it comes to shining under the lights things can change, and he obviously did a really good job under the lights as well,” he added.

This just goes to show the level at which the Ferrari rookie was operating. Even Oscar Piastri joined into the praise parade.

Oscar Piastri Echoes Daniel Ricciardo to Hype Oliver Bearman’s Stellar Debut

In 2023, Oscar Piastri was a rookie. And he surely took everyone aback with his amazing performances throughout the season. He even beat Max Verstappen to win the Qatar GP Sprint Race. So when Ollie Bearman hopped in the SF24 as a rookie, Piastri knew what his young rival would feel. Sure enough, as Piastri roared in 2023, Bearman did in Saudi Arabia in 2024.

“Yeah, I think he did a really good job,” Piastri told the media in Melbourne. “Yeah, obviously stepping in on Saturday morning for Ferrari as well, nonetheless. I think he did a great job. We were joking with him on the driver’s parade about what his neck strategy was going to be for the race. And looking at some of the onboards, I think he’s probably still a bit sore. But no, he did a great job, honestly. And yeah, I think he can be very proud of his performance.”

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If Bearman does make it to the grid this weekend, he could steal the show from the Aussies who would have the entire crowd behind them. The Australian Grand Prix is nearly here folks, get ready to get going!