Bearman impresses F1 bosses Briatore, Wolff, Steiner

Flavio Briatore, Gunther Steiner and even Toto Wolff have joined the ranks of those impressed with teenager Oliver Bearman’s one-off stand-in debut for Ferrari last weekend.

"It was exceptional," Briatore, the former Renault boss who remains involved with the Formula 1 organisation and Fernando Alonso’s management.

"He definitely has something," the Italian told the Rai 1 broadcaster. "What? We’ll see with time.

"But nobody knew him before and he was very good. He finished the race in a competitive way, holding on behind the regulars. It’s something to compliment him for."

Ferrari junior and F2 driver Bearman, 18, was back at the wheel of an F1 car - Ferrari’s 2022 edition - at Fiorano this week. Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur admits it is not yet clear if Carlos Sainz will be fit to return to his car next weekend in Australia following his appendix surgery.

Bearman is now being linked with a full-time F1 debut next year with the Ferrari-powered and affiliated Haas team.

The American outfit’s former boss Steiner told ntv this week: "Hopefully he’ll now concentrate on Formula 2 again and then I think he’ll definitely make his full-time debut in F1 next year.

"He’s a talent," Steiner added, also calling Bearman "very mature as a racing driver" and "very down-to-earth as a person".

Finally, Mercedes team boss Wolff is highly interested in Bearman’s progress as the Briton’s teammate in F2 this year is Wolff’s 17-year-old protege Kimi Antonelli.

Amid rumours Antonelli is a top contender to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, Wolff was at the Imola circuit this week for a test in the GT3 car operated by Antonelli’s father Marco.

It was being filmed for next year’s Drive To Survive - with Wolff’s moment when he "kissed the wall" in an off-track moment at Rivazza corner also captured.

When asked about Bearman’s performance in Saudi Arabia last weekend, Wolff said: "He did a great job, but we see that the younger generation is generally very strong..

"For me, Kimi is the standout among the boys," Wolff told Osterreich newspaper. Today’s Formula 1 cars are easier to drive because, unlike Formula 2, they have power steering."