Oliver Bearman obtained a shock call-up to the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz withdrew due to appendicitis.
The 18-year-old due to this fact turned the third-youngest driver to ever compete in an F1 grand prix after getting the chance because of being Ferrari’s reserve.
However there have been many different events within the twenty first Century when a crew’s reserve has entered a grand prix rather than considered one of its foremost drivers. Listed here are 10 occasions it has occurred in latest F1 historical past…
Sebastian Vettel, BMW Sauber F1.07
Picture by: Sutton Photos
Staff: BMW-Sauber
Race: 2007 United States Grand Prix
Race end: eighth
Sebastian Vettel was 16 days shy of his twentieth birthday when he made his F1 debut for BMW-Sauber, after Robert Kubica suffered a heavy crash on the race prior in Montreal. Vettel had been BMW-Sauber’s reserve driver since August 2006 and in his first observe session, FP1 for the 2006 Turkish GP, the eventual four-time world champion claimed the document for the quickest ever penalty – 9 seconds – after dashing within the pitlane.
Vettel was finally given his correct F1 debut for the crew on the 2007 United States GP the place he was spectacular from the off in Indianapolis. A teenage Vettel reached Q3 earlier than ending eighth, which on the time made him the youngest-ever F1 driver to attain some extent.
Kubica returned for the next race, so later in 2007 BMW-Sauber launched Vettel to Toro Rosso that means he solely drove one grand prix for the squad.
Oliver Bearman
Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber C44
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
Staff: Ferrari
Race: 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Race end: seventh
Bearman turned one other teenager to attain factors in F1 when he impressed on his debut for Ferrari. So shocking was the F1 name that Bearman began the weekend in F2 and claimed pole place for the characteristic race, however needed to withdraw as soon as Sainz was deemed not match sufficient to compete.
The Briton’s first session was last observe and regardless of such restricted time within the cockpit, Bearman certified eleventh having been lower than one tenth of a second off Q3. Bearman stepped it up within the race as he climbed as much as seventh and scored six factors for Ferrari after heading off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton within the closing laps.
Luca Badoer, Ferrari
Picture by: Sutton Photos
Staff: Ferrari
Races: 2009 European Grand Prix-2009 Belgian Grand Prix
Greatest end: 14th
Not each reserve driver has impressed when racing for the Scuderia although. Luca Badoer made his Ferrari debut on the age of 38, 10 years after his final F1 look, because of Felipe Massa fracturing his cranium on the Hungaroring when his helmet was struck by a chunk of suspension from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP automotive.
Given the context Badoer was anticipated to battle, however perhaps not as a lot as he really did – he certified final in Valencia and was 1.5 seconds off the subsequent driver. The struggles continued into race day when Badoer got here final of the completed vehicles, whereas team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was on the rostrum.
Badoer certified final once more in his second look, the 2009 Belgian GP, though this time he was inside a second of Romain Grosjean in nineteenth.
However an indication studying “my grandmother is quicker than Luca with a Ferrari. Shameful” proved to predict the tip of his F1 profession as he completed final of the runners in Spa-Francorchamps and was subsequently changed by Giancarlo Fisichella for Monza, earlier than Massa’s return in 2010.
Jenson Button, McLaren MCL32
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
Staff: McLaren
Race: 2017 McLaren Grand Prix
Race end: DNF
Jenson Button additionally made a shock return, having stop full-time racing on the finish of 2016 and decreasing his place to a reserve driver function at McLaren for 2017. He really wished to retire, however the crew satisfied the 2009 world champion in any other case.
Button due to this fact had little interest in making one other grand prix begin. Nevertheless, he was contractually obliged to take action on the 2017 Monaco GP when Fernando Alonso as an alternative entered the Indianapolis 500 as a part of his bid to assert the illustrious Triple Crown of Motorsport – awarded for successful the Monaco GP, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours and a feat which has solely been achieved by Graham Hill.
The then 37-year-old arguably began the weekend effectively although. Button reached Q3 and out-qualified team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne, however he began from the pitlane as his automotive was modified beneath parc ferme situations because of McLaren exceeding its most quota of engine parts for the 12 months.
Any good feeling about Button’s particular person efficiency went away within the race. On lap 60 whereas operating on the again, Button made a late lunge down the within of Flip 8 and clipped Pascal Wehrlein’s rear-right tyre which flipped his Sauber automotive onto its aspect towards the limitations.
The collision additionally triggered Button to retire from the race earlier than leaving McLaren on the finish of 2017.
Alexander Wurz
Takuma Sato and Alexander Wurz
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photos
Staff: McLaren
Race: 2005 San Marino Grand Prix
Race end: third
Alexander Wurz arguably had the best efficiency of any stand-in driver this century as he completed third at Imola in his first race for 5 years. Having been a McLaren check driver since 2001, Wurz was chosen for the 2005 San Marino GP to interchange the injured Juan Pablo Montoya, who had a hairline fracture of the shoulder – the reason for which is debated…
Wurz reached Q3 on his return to F1 and began the race in seventh, whereas his team-mate Raikkonen claimed pole. The Austrian, who’s now chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation, then drove a strong race as he crossed the road in fourth, however was later promoted into the rostrum positions because of the disqualification of third-placed Button, whose BAR automotive was underweight.
Wurz returned to his common McLaren check driver duties earlier than taking the identical function at Williams in 2006, touchdown a race seat with the crew a 12 months later.
Stoffel Vandoorne
Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren MP4-30 Honda
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
Staff: McLaren
Race: 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix
Race end: tenth
Vandoorne was one other driver to seem as a McLaren stand-in when he made his F1 debut on the 2016 Bahrain GP. It got here after becoming a member of McLaren’s junior programme in 2013 earlier than turning into its third driver the next 12 months with a lot hype round him. So, when Alonso broke his ribs in a crash on the season-opening 2016 Australian GP, Vandoorne’s F1 alternative had lastly arrived.
On the time McLaren was not very aggressive and, lining up alongside Button, Bahrain may simply have been a troublesome weekend for Vandoorne. He delivered on the promise although, out-qualifying his world champion team-mate earlier than scoring McLaren’s first level of the season in tenth.
Though it was Vandoorne’s solely grand prix of 2016, he was again within the McLaren seat the next 12 months as Button stepped away.
F1 in the end led to disappointment for Vandoorne as he had simply two full seasons with McLaren, ending sixteenth within the championship each years, earlier than transferring to Formulation E the place he clinched the 2022 title.
Nyck de Vries, Williams
Picture by: Williams
Staff: Williams
Race: 2022 Italian Grand Prix
Race end: ninth
Nyck de Vries’ F1 debut got here later than most, as he was 27-years-old and had already received the F2 and Formulation E championships. De Vries made his debut with Williams, having obtained the call-up simply earlier than last observe for the 2023 Italian GP after Alex Albon withdrew due to appendicitis.
It was a bizarre 12 months for De Vries, who accomplished a observe session every for 3 groups – Williams, Mercedes and Aston Martin – in 2023 because of his ties with the Silver Arrows. On high of that, his Aston Martin drive got here solely the day earlier than he changed Albon at Monza. However what a debut it was for De Vries.
De Vries was instantly on the tempo as he certified thirteenth, three spots above team-mate Nicholas Latifi, and he completed the job by scoring factors in ninth. On the time that end result put him above Latifi within the championship, regardless of solely doing one race, that means De Vries was instantly in rivalry for an F1 seat in 2023.
Many groups had been within the combine, however he finally went to AlphaTauri. De Vries’ time as a full-time F1 driver was disastrous although, as he scored zero factors earlier than getting dropped after 10 grands prix and returning to Formulation E after which additionally the World Endurance Championship.
Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri AT04
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
Staff: AlphaTauri
Races: 2023 Dutch Grand Prix-2023 Qatar Grand Prix
Greatest end: ninth
Liam Lawson obtained a late call-up for AlphaTauri on the 2023 Dutch GP after Daniel Ricciardo, who changed De Vries, crashed in second observe and broke his hand. Lawson had by no means beforehand pushed a aggressive session in F1 earlier than, along with his solely expertise coming in first observe for the 2022 Belgian, Mexico and Abu Dhabi GPs alongside F2 duties.
The F1 world was shocked by how effectively Lawson did. He completed a decent thirteenth on his debut earlier than constantly being in or across the factors over the next three grands prix, which included ninth in Singapore after Lawson remarkably reached Q3. His F1 stint led to disappointment as Lawson completed final of the runners in Qatar, nevertheless the New Zealander had already staked a strong declare for a full-time seat in 2024.
Many followers needed Lawson to obtain the chance, particularly as a result of he was labeled above team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in all however one of many grands prix they each competed in. Nevertheless, AlphaTauri stored Tsunoda and Ricciardo as its pairing for 2024 with Lawson as reserve driver. Purple Bull boss Christian Horner said that Lawson will develop into “a grand prix driver at some stage”.
Kazuki Nakajima
Kazuki Nakajima, Williams FW29 in a media scrum
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
Staff: Williams
Race: 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix
Race end: tenth
Kazuki Nakajima drove the ultimate grand prix of the 2007 season for Williams after Wurz stop prematurely, stating “if in case you have a second’s doubt about what you’re doing, then it’s time to cease”.
So, with a spot now open at Williams for 2008, the 2007 Brazilian GP was virtually an audition for Nakajima to assert that seat. The Japanese driver didn’t get the very best of begins as he was eradicated from Q1 in nineteenth, whereas team-mate Nico Rosberg reached the ultimate session.
Nevertheless, Nakajima then delivered a strong restoration drive to tenth regardless that he did knock down two Williams mechanics after going too far into his pit field. Regardless of that, Williams was nonetheless impressed sufficient to provide Nakajima an F1 seat for 2008 and he stayed for 2 seasons earlier than transferring to Japan’s Formulation Nippon/Tremendous Formulation and Tremendous GT.
Nakajima took the Tremendous Formulation title in 2012 and 2014, and was additionally a part of the successful Toyota driver line-up within the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Japanese driver was additionally topped World Endurance Champion within the 2018-19 tremendous season alongside Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi.
Takuma Sato
Takuma Sato, BAR 005 Honda, leads Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2003-GA
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
Staff: BAR
Race: 2003 Japanese Grand Prix
Race end: sixth
Honda-backed Takuma Sato drove his rookie season with Jordan in 2002, however when the Japanese producer shifted its full focus to BAR for the next 12 months, Sato joined the crew as its reserve driver. Sato lastly made his BAR debut on the 2003 season finale in Suzuka when Jacques Villeneuve instantly stop the crew after it had refused to resume his contract for 2004.
Villeneuve had been with BAR since its debut in 1999, so Sato had some large footwear to fill. Sato climbed as much as sixth within the race after beginning thirteenth in a valiant drive, and he was provided a BAR seat for the 2004 season on account of his efficiency.
