Haas rookie Oliver Bearman isn’t backing down after his tense on-track encounter with Yuki Tsunoda at last weekend’s US Grand Prix.
The British driver reiterated his scathing assessment of the Red Bull driver, labeling his driving at the Circuit of the Americas as “dangerous” and showing no signs of softening his view ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Bearman’s race in Austin took a sharp turn on Lap 34 when an attempted overtake on Tsunoda into Turn 15 forced him into a spin as he narrowly avoided contact with the Red Bull-backed driver.
Though Bearman managed to finish ninth, he lost two positions, dashing what could have been a stronger result at Haas’ home circuit.
Accusing Tsunoda of moving under braking, the post-race fallout was immediate, with the Japanese driver defending his conduct while Bearman made no apologies.
“Yeah, I mean, I still have the same assessment,” Bearman said on Thursday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, quoted by Motorsport Week.
“Of course, when I finished the race, I was not happy. Of course, there was adrenaline and stuff, but the corner is one that you can do these kind of dangerous moves without it being that obvious, because of the nature of the corner.
“So, a lot of people don’t see what I saw and what we saw, but no, I keep the same view.”
Driving Standards Under Scrutiny
Explaining his stance on racing etiquette, Bearman highlighted the danger of moving under braking and suggested the topic could be revisited during the upcoming driver briefing.
“I mean, this corner where the track is turning left anyway, you just say, well, I’m taking the apex,” he recounted. “But if you look at every other lap, that’s not how it looks, you know, so it’s one of those things.
“That’s the bit that’s worrying, I would say, and the fact that you broke super early as well. That’s where it becomes dangerous.”
©Haas
The Mexico City Grand Prix will also mark Bearman’s final race under the looming threat of a potential race ban, with just two points separating him from a suspension. On the topic of maintaining composure under pressure, he was candid about his mindset.
“It’s been a tough few races on that side of things, but it hasn’t necessarily meant that the results haven’t been there,” Bearman said.
“So it’s not a big issue, but I’m looking forward to have that target off my back, hopefully.
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“I never thought my approach on track was stiff. I have 10 points and eight of those, four I definitely deserved in Silverstone, but that’s not a racing thing, that’s just a stupidity thing.
“And then I got another four in Monaco, which is also one that can be argued either way, in my opinion. It’s not like I’ve been taking people out.”
Bearman’s tone makes it clear: he’s confident in his driving standards, unafraid to call out what he sees as unsafe behavior and focused on proving his worth as Haas looks to climb the F1 standings in the remaining races of the 2025 season.
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