Triple world champion Max Verstappen has lapped quickest for Crimson Bull in a red-flagged remaining follow for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Oliver Bearman ready for his Method One race debut with Ferrari by going a powerful tenth quickest.
Britain’s Bearman, 18 and the Italian staff’s youngest ever rookie, was drafted in to interchange Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard was hit by appendicitis and required surgical procedure.
The session was halted for 10 minutes when Sauber’s Guanyu Zhou crashed closely into the wall at flip 5, the monitor reopening with simply sufficient time for a flying lap.
Verstappen, winner of the Bahrain opener final Saturday, produced a finest time of 1 minute 28.412 seconds with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 0.196 slower and Crimson Bull’s Sergio Perez third on the timesheets.
George Russell lapped fourth quickest for Mercedes with McLaren’s Lando Norris fifth and Fernando Alonso sixth for Aston Martin.
Spaniard Alonso, 42, made his Method One debut in 2001 and with Renault was standing on the rostrum as second positioned finisher in his residence grand prix on the day Bearman was born.
Lance Stroll was seventh, additionally for Aston, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri eighth and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton ninth for Mercedes.
Britain’s Bearman, Ferrari’s youngest rookie at 18-years-old, did 22 laps with a finest time of 1:29.306, 0.698 seconds off Leclerc’s time.
The race is being held on Saturday to accommodate Ramadan, which begins on Sunday. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, modifying by Christian Radnedge)
