“Give bro a Ferrari seat instead of Sir Lewis Hamilton”: F1 fans react to Oliver Bearman celebrating in Ferrari paddock after an impressive debut

F1 fans have mocked Lewis Hamilton after rookie Ferrari driver Oliver Bearman finished ahead of the seven-time world champion in his debut race in Jeddah.

Bearman entered the Saudi Arabian GP as a last-minute replacement for Carlos Sainz, who sat out the weekend due to appendicitis. The Spaniard came into the weekend with a stomach bug but soldiered through to compete in the FP1 and FP2 sessions.

After finishing P11 in qualifying, Oliver Bearman further impressed by finishing P7 ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the main race. In the paddock, Bearman got a big embrace from his team, his father included.

Several F1 fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to Bearman's performance. One fan claimed that Ferrari should hire the 18-year-old instead of Lewis Hamilton.

"What a drive man. Give bro a Ferrari seat instead of sIr LeWiS hAmiLtOn," they wrote.

Here are some of the best fan reactions:

"What a talent he is" - Lewis Hamilton on Ollie Bearman after his impressive debut

Lewis Hamilton was full of praise for Ollie Bearman after his impressive performance on his F1 debut. Hamilton also joked that the 18-year-old nearly took him out on his way to a P7 finish. Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, the seven-time world champion said:

"He nearly took me out! He did such a great job. To jump in for FP3 without any practice and deliver like he has... mega, mega. Really impressed and it shows just what a talent he is. Also, the car looks really good and he has obviously got confidence straight away."

"I was 22 [on debut]. At 18 I was in F3 and I was nowhere near ready for F1 at 18 but the times are different. If I had come in at 18, my career might not look how it has so I am glad I waited. But Max came early and others have done. Me having waited, that's why I had 12 consecutive podiums in the first 12 races of my career, so I am glad I got that base."

Bearman also spoke about his battle with Hamilton and said it was a 'pleasure' to share the track with the Mercedes driver.

"I grew up watching these guys fighting and I didn't fight with them, but it was a pleasure to share the track with them. It was a pleasure to have that recognition. [Hamilton] was basically pulling me out of the car, I was struggling a bit, it was really physical," he said, via RacingNews365.