Walking, talking and racing with your childhood heroes

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Lewis Hamilton was a childhood hero of Ferrari rookie Ollie Bearman while Fernando Alonso was in the midst of his first championship winning year when the young Briton was born in May, 2005.

On Friday in Jeddah, an unexpected turn of events propelled the 18-year-old into the big time, and on Saturday he was walking, talking and racing among motorsports’ elite.

Young drivers spend years honing their skills, dreaming of the day they'll share the grid with their idol or role models.

This weekend, that dream became reality for Britain’s youngest ever F1 driver, who transitioned overnight from watching legends in action to battling them wheel-to-wheel... in a Ferrari!

"I grew up watching these guys fighting and it was nice to share the track with them," Bearman said. "It was a pleasure to have their recognition.

"[Lewis] was basically pulling me out of the car because I was struggling. It was really physical.

"In a race like this – one of the lowest-degradation tracks of the season and one of the highest lateral G – you are pretty much doing 50 qualifying laps."

Well done, Ollie!

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.