Bearman frustrated to change approach as race ban looms

A frustrated Oliver Bearman says he will need to adjust his approach in upcoming races after his controversial clash with Carlos Sainz in Monza left him just two penalty points away from an automatic Formula 1 race ban.

The Haas driver picked up a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for failing to leave Sainz enough space at the Italian Grand Prix during their wheel-to-wheel battle, bringing his tally to 10.

With 12 points triggering a suspension, the 20-year-old must now avoid any further missteps until November’s Brazilian Grand Prix, when two points will finally expire from his record.

“My fault… but I feel a little hard done by”

Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bearman admitted the Monza ruling still stings.

"It's my fault for getting the penalty regardless of if we agree with the rules or not," he said. "But it's a tough one to take. That's not how any of us have grown up racing, really."

Bearman insisted he was never out of control during the battle with Sainz.

"The rules are the rules. I think as a racing driver and as a fan, it's tough to take that penalty – because from my side at no point was I out of control.

“I was totally just racing to the corner with another driver and then I didn't get left any space at all. In the end, that's what the rules state. So I do feel a little hard done by."

The Challenge of Split-Second Racing Calls

The Briton argued that F1’s complex guidelines can’t account for the instincts required in wheel-to-wheel fights.

"Imagine you're going into the corner, you have a guy alongside you," he explained. "You're deciding, OK, I'm going to fight for this corner. Because in my situation, he [Sainz] was a bit faster than me – but it wasn’t like he was catching me one second a lap.

"If I could have stayed in front in that corner, I would have been able to stay in front until the end of the race. So I had every intention to fight for the move.

“And in that split second where you brake and you see how fast you're entering the corner with respect to your competitor, you don't then think about the three-page guideline they sent you in January. It's not possible.

"So you race to the corner like you know how, like you've been brought up doing. In my situation, I expected a bit more space, but that's how it went."

With his margin for error now razor-thin, Bearman acknowledged he’ll have to race differently in F1’s upcoming races.

"I would hope to get given space on the inside, but clearly there's a possibility that that won't happen, so I can't take that risk," he admitted. "It's a shame. I guess I'll just go around the outside now…"

As Haas pushes forward in what’s been a gritty 2025 campaign, Bearman's on-the-edge status adds extra spice to the midfield battles.

Will the young Brit keep his cool on Baku's unforgiving streets and beyond? Or will the temptation to dive-bomb prove too strong? Watch this space…

Read also: Haas outlines expectations for Bearman in back-half of F1 season

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