Yuki Tsunoda reveals whether Ollie Bearman has been kicked out of F1 Drivers’ WhatsApp group led by George Russell

Yuki Tsunoda has backed Ollie Bearman to earn a permanent spot in Formula 1 after earning one in the Drivers' WhatsApp group.

British teenager Bearman will get his second chance to impress in motorsport's elite at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.

The 19-year-old will get behind the wheel of Kevin Magnussen's Haas in FP1 on Friday at Imola.

Bearman impressed hugely when he deputised in Saudi Arabia for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in March - who missed the race due to undergoing surgery for appendicitis.

Born in Chelmsford, Essex, Bearman became the youngest British driver ever to race in an F1 Grand Prix when he starred in Jeddah.

The Ferrari academy driver had qualified on pole for the Formula 2 race before making the jump only hours before the final practice session.

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Bearman went on to qualify 11th before an impressive Sunday stint saw him beat Lewis Hamilton to score six points on his debut.

Despite his brief cameo, the teenager was already well-known to his F1 peers having been part of the coveted Drivers' WhatsApp group.

The GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) chat was only revealed in the last few years, with Lando Norris admitting that James Hunt was the group photo and that Mercedes driver George Russell was in charge.

Infamously, Nikita Mazepin even admitted he was booted from the group on the same day Haas announced his sacking in 2022.