OLIVER BEARMAN is an 18-year-old British F1 driver on the fast track to stardom.
The teenager, who is in a relationship with 21-year-old TikTok sensation Estelle Ogilvy, will make his shock F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
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Oliver Bearman is dating Estelle Ogilvy
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Estelle Ogilvy is a TikTok influencer Credit: Instagram / @silly_lettuce
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Bearman will make his F1 debut this weekend Credit: Getty
Bearman comes as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz pulled out of the race to undergo emergency surgery after being diagnosed with appendicitis.
He was chosen as his replacement after securing pole position in yesterday’s F2 qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The youngster then finished 11th in F1 qualifying after missing Q3 by just 0.036 seconds.
He will break Lando Norris’ record as the youngest British F1 driver and be the first Briton to represent Ferrari since Eddie Irvine in 1999.
Off the track, he’s already attracting attention as he’s reportedly dating TikTok stunner Estelle.
The influencer has 72,000 followers, and the couple in love have decided to keep their relationship off their fans’ social media feeds for now.
His Ferrari teammates are well aware of his girlfriend and have reportedly been teasing him about it.
Bearman is seen as a future star after winning the F4 series in Italy and Germany in 2021.
After moving up to F3, the teenage sensation finished third and was then promoted to F2 with Prema Racing last year.
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He has already attracted the attention of his fellow F1 racers after impressing in practice during the 2023 season.
Bearman got behind the wheel of a Haas car in Mexico City last year.
Who is the new Ferrari star Oliver Bearman
His best lap time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was just 1.6 seconds slower than triple champion Max Verstappen and three tenths behind experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.
However, the Briton was faster than veteran Fernando Alonso, who won the World Championship in 2005 when he was just a few months old.
Born in Chelmsford, Bearman comes from a racing-obsessed family.
His father David is a former go-kart driver, who also drove under the No87, and his young brother Thomas is also a highly regarded racer for KR Sport.
Bearman has dominated British karting since taking to the track for the first time at the age of eight.
He was spotted by Ferrari at the age of 16 and snapped up as part of their young driver program.
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Oliver Bearman comes from Chelmsford, Essex
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Bearman will fill in for the ill Carlos Sainz at the Saudi GPCredit: Getty
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He has impressed in F2 this seasonCredit: Getty
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Estelle kept her relationship with Bearman private Credit: Instagram / @silly_lettuce
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Has 72,000 followers on TikTok Credit: Instagram / @silly_lettuce
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The influencer often shows her outfits on the platform
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Bearman was picked up by Ferrari at the age of 16 Credit: Instagram / @davidbearman87
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He left his family home in Essex aged 16 to pursue a career with Ferrari Credit: Instagram / @davidbearman87
Interest from the Italian giants saw Bearman drop out of school – much to the chagrin of his mother Terri – in favor of moving a few miles from Ferrari’s headquarters in Modena.
Since moving from Essex, his voice has changed a bit, with some claiming he now has an Italian twang.
On the move, Bearman said, “A lot of people have told me that my accent has changed even though I don’t notice it.
“I spend a lot of time with Italians and it’s not easy to communicate with people whose first language is not English, so I changed the word order and ended up with this accent everywhere.
“Maybe I was a little lucky not to get an Essex accent.
“When I moved to Modena, it happened quite quickly.
“It was like going to college two years early, but I’ve loved every moment of it so far.
“My mom was very much in favor of school and education, but in the end we managed to convince her.
“I miss my family, my two dogs – that’s the negative side.
“But the food in Italy is much better than in England, and the weather is better.”
Bearman’s childhood hero is Jenson Button, who has already singled out the prodigy for praise.
Of his love for the 2009 champion, Bearman said: “I heard Jenson praise me on Sky, and it was amazing to hear that.
“I don’t know why, but he was always the guy I loved and really looked up to.
“It’s cool that he recognized my performance in training and I’ll try to talk to him.”
Bearman will take to the grid tonight for qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s race at 5pm.
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Bearman raced for the first time at age eight Credit: Instagram / @davidbearman87
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Number 87 a nod to his dad, who also used the number Credit: Instagram / @davidbearman87
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His father David is a motorsport enthusiast Credit: Instagram / @davidbearman87
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Bearman was on pole in Saudi Arabia in F2 before being called up due to Sainz’s illnessCredit: Getty
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He is a future star and impressed in training for Haas last term. Credit: Getty
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