Haas rookie Oliver Bearman criticized the FIA stewards after a contentious ruling stripped him of a crucial lap time during Saturday’s qualifying for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
The British driver, who believed he had secured a Q2 berth, was relegated to 19th on the grid after his fastest lap was deleted due to a late red flag triggered by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto’s crash.
The session, already disrupted by an earlier red flag following Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda’s violent shunt at the Villeneuve chicane, ended prematurely, leaving Bearman and his Haas team fuming at what they see as an unjust decision.
Bearman’s outspoken frustration highlighted the high stakes for the young driver, who was eager to showcase Haas’s new upgrade package at the Italian venue.
Bearman was on a competitive lap when Colapinto’s accident at Tamburello brought out the second red flag in Q1. Convinced he had crossed the finish line before the session was halted, the Haas charger was shocked to learn his time was nullified.
“We get the red light on our dash,” he explained. “That, for me, didn't happen until quite a way after I crossed the line. Watching the outboard video, it was clear that there was no red flag displayed when I crossed the line.”
His lap, which he believed was strong enough to advance to Q2, was discarded after the FIA ruled the red flag was shown before he completed it, a decision that left him starting 19th, ahead only of Tsunoda, who set no time due to his earlier crash.
The ruling sparked a heated response from Bearman, who didn’t hold back in criticizing the stewards’ inflexibility.
“So, I believe it's totally unfair to have [the lap] deleted. I feel like once they make a decision, even if it's wrong – even if it's clearly wrong – they're not going to turn back on it. And that seems a bit harsh,” he said, his frustration palpable.
Haas challenged the ruling, which caused a delay to the start of Q2, but the stewards held firm. With the lap annulled, Bearman was left 19th, ahead of only Tsunoda, who failed to set a time due to his earlier crash.
“For us, there’s overwhelming evidence to say that his lap time should’ve stood, so that’s our position currently, but with transparency we’d like to talk to the stewards about it," commented Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu.
Bearman lamented the missed opportunity, pointing to the extensive effort behind Haas’s latest car upgrade—a package the team had been developing for months.
The Imola race weekend had been earmarked as a critical moment to showcase the improvements, making the qualifying setback all the more painful.
“Unfortunately, we are last now,” Bearman added.
“It's things like that... we work and we invest so much. We have a new package this weekend, and this has been months and months in the pipeline.
“It's the only chance we have to show it. I put in a lap that's representative and really get the most out of the car, and that's what we have to show for it. It's a big shame.”
The 19-year-old will now line up on the back row of the grid for Sunday’s race, alongside team-mate Esteban Ocon in 18th.
Despite the disappointment, Bearman will be hoping to claw his way back into the points with a strong showing at the historic Imola circuit.
Pierre Gasly speaks about Esteban Ocon with the familiarity of someone revisiting childhood photographs –…
Lance Stroll knows exactly what follows his name in Formula 1 comment sections – and…
Two commemorative dates come together on this day, and both are embodied by this picture…
Touching down in Brisbane this week, this Alliance Airlines Embraer 190 is wearing more than…
Isack Hadjar is bracing himself for what he expects to be a bruising education alongside…
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur is already gaming out a season that hasn’t begun –…