He could have been any gangly teenager with A-Levels to sit, 6ft 2in and still growing, yet to fill his long frame. And to think Bearman was just 18 months old when Lewis won the first of his world titles, for McLaren back in 2008. ‘I was so tired, so many Gs, like 50 qualifying laps,’ said Bearman, turning to watch a rerun of the race on the big screens by the media pen. That was just before qualifying, where Bearman claimed 11th place on the grid. Lap after lap, Bearman followed the German round trying to prise a way through. Russell finished sixth, the only Briton ahead of Bearman, though a bad day for Mercedes. Race over, Bearman was off to debriefs – the unglamorous hard yards of a driver’s life – and then a late celebration?

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