The Austrian Grand Prix, at the scenic Red Bull Ring, was as eventful as ever with unexpected turns, unpredictable weather and even flying tyres. Ollie managed to turn a disappointing qualification around as the drivers fought elevation changes of 63m as they drove around the track.
Qualifying
The qualifying session saw Ollie face the daunting task of avoiding exceeding track limits after collecting two warnings by the halfway point of the session. A third would result in a penalty, making it crucial for Bearman to deliver clean laps within the white lines. With the pressure on, Ollie finished the session 13th on the grid.
Sprint Race
As the Sprint race kicked off, the damp conditions added an extra layer of difficulty for the drivers. Late braking resulted in some cars going wide into the first turn, while the Safety Car made an appearance by the end of the first lap because of Daruvala spinning into the gravel.
Restarting the race from the back of the grid, another Safety Car was deployed within seconds, as Verschoor collided with the barrier. The Sprint proved to be a battle of the tyre compounds, with wet/dry conditions providing abundant racing drama.
Despite setbacks, Bearman showcased his skills and ever-present determination, skillfully manoeuvring his way through the pack and climbing to 9th place by the chequered flag. But it didn’t end there.
Ollie was later promoted to 8th and into the points, after Clement Novalak was disqualified from the Sprint standings when the Stewards found the rear tyres of his Trident car were below the pressure limit required to race.
Feature Race
After a penalty laden qualification, Ollie started 19th on the grid and had it all to do. Undeterred, Ollie was ready to seize any opportunity that came his way.
As Ollie pitted for supersoft tyres on Lap 27, he rejoined at the tail end of the order in 18th place before a rear wheel of Leclerc completely detached itself from the car on Lap 28. Bouncing dangerously close to Ollie’s Prema, quick reflexes and some racing luck meant the feral flying tyre made a beeline for the barrier, thankfully avoiding Ollie and the other drivers on track.
The latest Safety Car came in on Lap 32 and Ollie continued his charge through the field from 12th place. Following the restart, Bearman executed a series of impressive overtakes, quickly moving up to 11th, swiping 10th from Benavides and 9th from Nissany within the lap.
After a brief Virtual Safety Car and just four laps to go Ollie found his way through on Martins, climbing the hill into sixth place before also passing Pourchaire at Turn 4 to claim fifth.
Ollie finished the race in fifth place, collecting 10 Championship points.
Going into Silverstone, Ollie is primed for his home race. Join us for Round Nine next week - 7th to 9th July - for all the action.
