Lewis Hamilton stunned as Ollie Bearman reveals spider prompted hotel switch in Malaysia.
Formula 1 competitors might be in top physical condition and navigate speeds of 200mph in vehicles that most people would hesitate to push to their limits, yet they remain very much human. Ollie Bearman, the Haas F1 driver rumored to have a potential future with Ferrari, shares a common fear with many of us: spiders.
At a fan gathering during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the young racer recounted the fright he experienced when he awoke to find an eight-legged creature right next to his head, much to the astonishment of Lewis Hamilton.
Standing alongside teammate Esteban Ocon and Ferrari drivers Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Bearman recounted his terrifying encounter.
"I was jolted awake at 2am by a spider next to my head," he told, prompting gasps from his peers. "I swear! I swear! I messaged my travel team. I was like, 'Guys, I'm relocating. I can't stay here.'"
He was prompted for more details.
"I heard it, sort of creeping up to me. I opened my eyes, and it was right there," he explained.
"No way!" Leclerc responded, visibly shocked.
When asked about the size of the creature, Bearman gestured with his hand. "It was about the size of my palm!" he exclaimed, pointing. "Yes! I swear! I swear! And then I swatted it away, turned on the light, and I couldn’t find it. So when I switched hotels, I haven't opened my suitcase yet because I'm afraid it's in there."
Hamilton, who has been racing and visiting Malaysia for nearly twenty years, was still taken aback to learn that the country has spiders of that size.
"I would have slept in the car!" he laughed. "I didn’t even know Malaysia had such spiders!
"Oh my god, that changes everything. What?! I've been coming here for 20 years, and I had no idea."
Bearman was likely referring to the huntsman spider, which is often found in homes and hotels across the nation. Although they are not dangerous, they do utilize venom on smaller prey. Uniquely, instead of spinning webs, they scurry rapidly across trees, walls, and ceilings.
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