Oliver Bearman on the brink of F1 race ban after Monza penalty
Oliver Bearman says he does not have a choice but to change the way he races after contact with Carlos Sainz at the Italian Grand Prix pushed his superlicence tally to 10 penalty points. With two more points triggering an automatic race ban under F1’s system, and his next deduction not due until November 2 after the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Haas driver admits he must manage risk in wheel-to-wheel fights over the coming rounds.
Since the superlicence points system was introduced, only Kevin Magnussen has been banned; incidentally, Bearman later stepped in at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after an incident at Monza’s second chicane. The latest sanction for Bearman followed contact at the same second chicane at Monza, where he was judged at fault on the inside line against Sainz.
Why he feels hard done by
Bearman accepts part of his tally stems from a genuine error but believes other incidents did not merit the same severity. He also argues that in the heat of battle, drivers cannot race while thinking about lengthy guidelines.
Yeah, I don’t have a choice. I mean, I would hope I get given space on the inside, but clearly, there is a possibility that won’t happen, so I can’t take that risk.
Of course, it is a shame I’ve ended up at this point, but I earned some for a good reason. I made a dangerous mistake at Silverstone, which I got four penalty points for, but I got two from Monza, two for Monaco with the red flag, but I felt like I did my best to avoid a dangerous situation there.
The rules are the rules, and maybe it is tough to take that penalty because from my side, at no point was I out of control, I just didn’t get left any space. I do feel a little hard done by.
How it changes his approach
With the ban threat looming, Bearman says he will err on the side of caution in tight contests, especially on the inside line. He stresses that the current interpretations make some classic racecraft instincts difficult to apply.
Now, I guess if I am on the outside, I’ll just go for it, and it is my fault for getting the penalty regardless of if we agree with the rules or not, but it is tough to take, and it is not how any of us have grown up racing.
I had every intention to fight for the move, and in that split second where you brake and see how fast you are entering the corner in respect to your competitor, you don’t think about the three-page guideline they sent you in January. It is not possible, so you race to the corner like how you’ve been brought up doing, and in my situation, I expected a bit more space.
Bearman adds that he is targeting Brazil as a key milestone, when he expects to lose two points from his licence and gain a little breathing room.
Key points
- Penalty at Monza for contact with Carlos Sainz leaves Bearman on 10 superlicence points.
- Two more points would result in a race ban; next points deduction comes November 2, after the Mexico City Grand Prix.
- Bearman accepts four points from a dangerous mistake at Silverstone, but feels Monza and Monaco were harsh.
- Only Kevin Magnussen has served a ban under the current system; Bearman previously replaced him at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- Bearman says he will avoid high-risk wheel-to-wheel moves to ensure he reaches Brazil, when two points drop off.
