Vasseur keeping Bearman ‘calm’, wants ‘clean race’ from rookie

Fred Vasseur says Ferrari super-sub Ollie Bearman did a “fantastic job” on Friday in Jeddah following his late call-up to replace an ill Carlos Sainz. He now wants a “clean race” from the young Briton.

Bearman only had a few hours to prepare for FP3 and qualifying but the 18-year-old rookie acquitted himself well, steering clear of trouble and setting the eleventh fastest time in qualifying, just missing out on a spot in Q3.

As a member of Ferrari’s Driver Academy, Bearman has enjoyed several tests in recent months with older F1 machinery at Fiorano. He also took part in two FP1 sessions with Haas last season, in Mexico and in Abu Dhabi, so he wasn’t forced into a completely unfamiliar environment.

But jumping into the fray at such short notice – I a car he has never driven before – was always going to be a tall order. However, it was a test he passed with flying colors.

• Read also: F1 titans applaud Bearman's ‘impressive’ debut display

“He was in the preparation mode for the F2 when I asked him to come,” Vasseur told F1TV. “He had to refresh everything about the procedure, the steering wheel and so on. He had to jump into the car to do the [cockpit evacuation] test with the FIA.

“In FP3 honestly he did a fantastic job. If you have a look at the end he didn’t do a big mistake. I think he missed Q3 for nothing, like a couple of hundreds.

“He did more than I expected. For sure now we have to keep him calm because the most important is to do the same tomorrow, to have clean work and to finish the race.”

Ahead of his Grand Prix baptism of fire on Saturday evening, Bearman will have no doubt studied once again the many procedures associated with his task. But experience is something you cannot buy.

“For Ollie what I would expect is to have a clean race,” added Vasseur.

“He never took a start on the grid, he never did a proper pit stop, it means that we have to step-by-step to tick all the boxes.

“But he had a very good approach today, this morning and I trust him that he is doing a good job in F2 and I’m sure that he will be able to do it.”

Regarding Sainz and the Spaniard’s prospects, Vasseur hinted that it would likely require a few days before setting a timeline for the Scuderia’s charger’s return to the cockpit.

“It went pretty well, now he’s in the recovery mode,” said the Frenchman. “He will have meetings with the surgeon at the beginning of the week to decide what could be the next step. It was a tough day.”

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