Ollie Bearman has opened up about the brutal physical reality of his surprise Ferrari Formula 1 debut, revealing that Formula 2 left him completely unprepared for the neck strain of driving an F1 car at racing speed.
The British driver was thrust into the spotlight at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Carlos Sainz was ruled out at the last minute following emergency appendix surgery. Despite the pressure, Bearman delivered an impressive performance, qualifying 11th and finishing seventh to score points on his debut.
But the 21-year-old Haas driver has now revealed just how punishing that weekend was on his body, particularly during his first laps in the Ferrari SF-24.
Neck Strain Hit Immediately in FP3
“My first lap in FP3, it was like 12 seconds faster than my pole lap I did in F2 the day before. On my first run, my neck was gone already. So, I was not really looking forward to that race. And it hurt.”
Speaking in a video alongside his Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon, Bearman explained that the physical step up from Formula 2 caught him off guard. When Ocon noted that nothing truly prepares a driver for the strain an F1 car puts on the neck, Bearman agreed emphatically.
“Exactly. Because F2, for me, was easy physically. The neck was not even a factor. Then I did an F1 race, and my neck was everything. It was a crazy step. But a fun day, fun night.”
The physical toll didn’t diminish Bearman’s focus during the race itself. He qualified just 0.036 seconds away from Q3, then held off both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to secure seventh place and become the youngest driver ever to compete for Ferrari.
Managing Stress While Fighting Pain
Despite the discomfort, Bearman couldn’t afford to let nerves take over. His father, David Bearman, watched anxiously from the Ferrari garage as his son managed the twin challenges of physical pain and high-stakes racing.
“I couldn’t be stressed. I was trying to hold on with my neck. For him to share that experience with me, standing at the back of the garage, I think he was struggling with nerves, but it was very special to share that day with him.”
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix proved to be a launchpad for Bearman’s career. He went on to secure a full-time seat with Haas for 2025, where he impressed during his rookie season with the American team.
Now in his second full F1 season, Bearman’s candid reflections on that debut weekend highlight the often-overlooked physical demands of Formula 1 — and the gap between junior categories and the top tier of motorsport. With the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix approaching on June 21, Bearman will be hoping his neck has adapted considerably since that baptism of fire in Jeddah.