Ferrari Formula One driver Carlos Sainz will miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend due to appendicitis, the team has confirmed. British teenager Oliver Bearman will replace him for the race.
Sainz, 29, was diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery, Ferrari announced on Friday. Although he participated in two practice sessions on Thursday, he will not be able to continue for the rest of the weekend.
In Sainz’s absence, 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, from Chelmsford, Essex, and a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, will step in. Bearman had an impressive showing in Formula 2 qualifying in Saudi Arabia, securing pole position before being selected to replace Sainz.
British Teen (Credits: Sebastian Racing/YouTube
This will be Bearman’s first competitive race in Formula One, although he has previously driven for Haas in practice sessions last season. In his debut F2 campaign last year, Bearman finished sixth overall, winning three feature races and one sprint race.
Bearman’s selection marks him as the 12th British driver to race for Ferrari and the first since Eddie Irvine in 2000. Meanwhile, Sainz, who finished third in the season-opening race in Bahrain, has not yet been offered a seat for next season, as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is set to replace him in 2025.
For the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Frenchman Charles Leclerc, 26, will be Ferrari’s main driver. Leclerc finished fourth in the Bahrain race, behind Sainz in third. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 champion, won the season’s opening race, with his teammate Sergio Perez coming second.
