Max Verstappen fastest in final practice as Oliver Bearman debuts for Ferrari.
Max Verstappen edges Charles Leclerc in final practice at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
08 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen topped the final practice session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Oliver Bearman made his Ferrari debut. Verstappen, who cruised to victory at last weekend’s season-opener in Bahrain, was just 0.196s seconds faster than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was third-fastest, 0.494 secs slower than Verstappen. George Russell was fourth-quickest, over half a second adrift, while Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton was only ninth. Lando Norris finished fifth ahead of the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

British teenager Bearman, who has been drafted in to replace the unwell Carlos Sainz, completed the top-10 with a solid performance in his first F1 outing for Ferrari. The 18-year-old claimed pole position for the Formula 2 championship feature race in Jeddah on Thursday and will take part in the rest of the weekend while Sainz undergoes surgery for appendicitis.

‘Max Verstappen fastest in final practice’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104527...debuts-ferrari


Saudi Arabian GP: Free Practice 3 Results
9 March 2024
by Speedcafe.com
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 12 1:28.412

2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 15 1:28.608 0.196

3 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 12 1:28.906 0.494

4 63 George Russell Mercedes 16 1:28.964 0.552

5 4 Lando Norris McLaren 10 1:28.971 0.559

6 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 13 1:29.038 0.626

7 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 13 1:29.127 0.715

8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 10 1:29.213 0.801

9 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 18 1:29.268 0.856

10 38 Oliver Bearman Ferrari 21 1:29.306 0.894

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/saudi-arabian-...ice-3-results/


Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: F1 FP3 results
All eyes were cast on F2 PREMA driver Ollie Bearman, as he replaces ill Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for the rest of the F1 weekend in Saudi Arabia
March 8, 2024
Samuel Coop
FormulaNerds

The second half: As the clock ticked over into the second half of the session, Verstappen put his Red Bull on top of the timing board, clocking in a 1:28.893. Once emerged from the pit lane, Magnussen showed the pace in his Haas, setting the third-fastest lap time of the session.

Sargeant, however, didn’t enjoy the same fortune, clipping the wall and having to return to the pits without setting a lap time. He was, as confirmed by the AWS broadcast information, “too close to the wall” having actually hit it.

‘F1 FP3 results’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/sa...1-fp3-results/


Zhou crashes heavily as Verstappen tops red-flagged FP3.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen started Friday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on top, after setting the pace in the third practice session.
8 March 3:33PM
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The three-time World Champion topped the session courtesy of setting a 1:28.412s, which was just under two-tenths of a second quicker than Charles Leclerc in second. Leclerc found himself in a Red Bull sandwich, as last season's winner at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit Sergio Perez finished FP3 in third.

Perez though, was almost five-tenths behind Verstappen and narrowly ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris who completed the top five.

‘Verstappen tops red-flagged FP3’;

https://racingnews365.com/zhou-crash...ed-flagged-fp3


Bearman’s F1 debut will surprise even him – but he always looked the real deal
8th March 2024, 12:53
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

The 18-year-old woke up on Friday morning looking forward to starting the F2 sprint race from tenth position after securing pole position in qualifying for Saturday’s feature race. However, those plans have now drastically changed.

With Carlos Sainz Jnr hospitalised due to appendicitis, Ferrari have summoned their junior driver to step in and make an unexpected grand prix debut at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. In doing so, Bearman will become the first driver to debut with the Scuderia since Arturo Merzario in the 1972 British Grand Prix.

Despite his youth, Bearman has amassed an impressive CV in single-seaters since moving into F4 in 2020. The then-15-year-old competed in the Italian and German F4 championship alongside current F2 rivals such as Jak Crawford – qualifying on the front row at his first attempt in single-seaters and winning once race in each series.

‘Bearman’s F1 debut’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/08/...the-real-deal/


Meet Essex’s teen F1 star Oliver Bearman who loves Lionel Messi and will drive for Ferrari at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Published: 12:51, 8 Mar 2024
Joe Brophy
talkSPORT

It took Britain's greatest-ever driver Lewis Hamilton almost two decades to realise his lifelong ambition of racing for Ferrari. Oliver Bearman is managing it in his Formula 1 debut. The 18-year-old is being thrust behind the wheel of the Scuderia to partner future Hamilton teammate Charles Leclerc this weekend.

The teen had claimed pole position for Prema Racing in F2 qualifying on Thursday, but will now jump to F1 for the rest of the weekend. It will mark Bearman's full F1 debut, having driven for Haas - whose power unit is provided by Ferrari - in first practice at the Mexican and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix last year. In Mexico in particular, Bearman was among the most impressive of the five rookies that competed.

Having won both the German and Italian Formula Four championships, Bearman then impressed at the FDA Scouting World Finals in Maranello enough to be signed in 2021. Despite upping sticks to Ferrari’s headquarters in northern Italy, the Essex star still retains roots back home, saying: “Chelmsford [where he considered home], that’s where I’ve grown up most of my life.”

‘Ferrari: It will mark Bearman's full F1 debut’;

https://talksport.com/sport/1779778/...an-grand-prix/