"I got a message from one of my heroes, Sebastian Vettel": Oliver Bearman talks about the F1 legend wishing him luck before the race

Ferrari driver Oliver Bearman claimed he was ecstatic after one of his 'heroes' Sebastian Vettel messaged him just before his first race in the sport for the Italian team.

The 18-year-old got a last-minute call to replace the ailing Carlos Sainz after the latter underwent appendicitis surgery on Friday after participating in the FP1 and FP2 sessions in Jeddah. Bearman only had FP3 to get familiar with the SF-24 before qualifying a stunning P11 on Friday evening.

Oliver Bearman converted his P11 into P7 in the main race as he held onto his position ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. He also spoke about getting a special message from Sebastian Vettel and said (via Formula Passion):

“One of my heroes, Vettel, wrote to me before the start. I thank Seb, it was really nice. It was a great emotion to run my first Formula 1 race with Scuderia Ferrari."

He also spoke about driving a 'demanding' first race in Jeddah and claimed:

"Obviously it was physically demanding, especially at the end, when I had Lando (Norris) and Lewis (Hamilton) behind me on Soft tires. I always had to push hard to maintain the lead while always staying focused and constantly looking in the mirrors: a truly memorable experience.

"It's a shame that the Safety Car came in so early, as I felt comfortable on the Softs, but obviously, it was the right choice to come back in and I'm very happy with the result."

Oliver Bearman added:

"I'm happy to have maximized the potential available to me, I had a lot of fun on the track and I will never forget this weekend. Thanks to the whole team for the support and for the opportunity to be able to compete in red."

Ferrari team boss praises Oliver Bearman after an 'amazing' P7 finish

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur stated that he didn't have 'specific expectations' from Oliver Bearman as he had minimal time in the car.

As per F1.com, Vasseur pointed out:

"As for Ollie, I didn’t have any specific expectations given the circumstance that led to him being in the car. And yet, he managed these two days amazingly well, almost like a veteran."

It is unclear if the young Brit will get a second opportunity in the SF-24 in Melbourne for the Australian GP as Carlos Sainz may get back in the car after his recovery.