F1 star mounts pressure on Bearman amid rumours on future

Oliver Bearman had a hugely impressive debut in F1 in Saudi Arabia – but Nico Hulkenberg has stressed that there will be pressure on the Brit to perform in F2.

Having secured pole position for Prema in the junior category in Jeddah, Bearman was called up to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari a day later, after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis.

READ MORE: Marko confirms 'unimaginable' Bearman talks with Red Bull

Despite limited time in the car, the 18-year-old caught the paddock’s attention after he finished in seventh, passing well established names along the way.

One of those drivers he overtook was Hulkenberg and the German joined in giving Bearman high praise after his performance.

Hulkenberg puts pressure on Bearman

Speaking with the media in Australia, the Haas driver joked with reporters about Bearman’s radio message that the 36-year-old’s car was ‘so slow’ while racing him: “I don’t know what took him so long to get past me if we were that slow, it took him five laps in the second-fastest car.”

“Last year he was doing a good job in Mexico and in Abu Dhabi [in FP1], I thought he did a solid job then.

“I think he did a solid job also in Jeddah, drove a good race, no mistakes. He’s in the second-best car after all, and you see how powerful and how valuable that is, and what kind of difference that makes.”

Bearman’s performance has prompted claims that he should be on the grid for 2025 and could be in line for a Haas seat next season with him taking part in six FP1 sessions with the team this year.

READ MORE: F1 team forced to contend with Australian Grand Prix ban

Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are both out of contract at the end of the season, but the German was quick to dismiss the possibility of Bearrman joining the team and stressed that people may forget his Jeddah display if he does not perform in F2.

“I think it’s very early and way too early to say that,” he said.

“I think he’s got a big job on his hands in F2 first of all, because otherwise, if he’s not doing well there, this Jeddah race is going to be forgotten in two days.

“You know how this business works, so I think [there is] quite a bit of pressure on him there to deliver now in F2 actually.

“If you get an opportunity, you have to make it work and Jeddah showed [he did], 100%. But he’s obviously a Ferrari junior and if he keeps performing strongly in F2, I think he will definitely get a chance eventually.”

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