Oliver Bearman close to F1 race ban after Italian GP collision

Oliver Bearman is on the edge of a Formula 1 race ban after his penalty for clashing with Carlos Sainz during the Italian Grand Prix.

The Haas driver moved on to 10 penalty points for the rolling 12-month period, meaning if he picks up two more before his next points are erased he will be handed an automatic one-race ban in F1.

Bearman was given two penalty points alongside his 10-second penalty after he was judged at fault for colliding with Sainz in the Monza race, with the stewards ruling the British driver did not give his Williams rival enough racing room in the Turn 4 incident on lap 41 and that led to the clash.

“The Stewards reviewed video and in-car video evidence,” the FIA stewards document explained. “Car 55 attempted to overtake Car 87 on the outside into Turn 4 and had its front axle ahead of the front axle of Car 87 at the apex, thereby earning the right to the racing line.

“The driver of Car 87 defended his position on the inside instead of giving up the position and caused the collision. The Stewards determine that the driver of Car 87 is predominantly at fault and therefore the standard penalty for such incidents is applied.”

Bearman’s next penalty points will drop off in early November after the Mexican GP – two that he picked up during last year’s Brazilian GP – meaning he cannot afford to pick up two more points across the next four F1 rounds in Azerbaijan, Singapore, the United Sates and Mexico.

Max Verstappen, who came close to a race ban earlier this year having risen to 10 points, is still on nine points and also loses his next batch of points after the Mexican GP at the end of October.

The last F1 driver to receive a race ban for exceeding the penalty points limit was Kevin Magnussen – with Beaman the driver called up to fill in for the Dane at Haas at last year’s Azerbaijan GP.

Speaking after the race Bearman said he needed to review the incident but before the clash he felt points were possible having been battling just outside the top 10 at the time.

“It’s really sad honestly, because the car felt great today, we were really quick,” Bearman told Sky Sports F1. “I had to really fight because we were very slow in straight line today, but without the incident, I think we would have been in the points today.

“I need to look back [at the incident]. Obviously from my seat, I have an opinion, but I need to look back without emotion basically.”

Sainz felt that given he was ahead on the outside line Bearman would’ve been expected to yield into Turn 4, but he played it down as “just a typical Monza incident”.

“I think I left a car’s width on the inside, and I think that’s why the stewards gave him a penalty,” Sainz said. “I braked extremely late on the outside. I don’t think the guy on the inside could have braked any later. I think he did, and that’s what created the collision.

“It’s just typical Monza incident. One of the two needs to back out. I was in front at the apex, he decided not to back out of the move and created that collision. Typical Monza.”

Photos from Italian GP – Race