Incident Overview

Haas driver Oliver Bearman has been handed a 10-place grid penalty for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix following a violation during the second practice session on Friday. The penalty comes after Bearman overtook Carlos Sainz's Williams under red flag conditions, which mandates all drivers to slow down and return to the pits.

Stewards' Verdict

The stewards acknowledged that Haas had informed Bearman about the red flag too late. However, they noted that the video footage clearly showed a light panel directly in front of Bearman indicating the red flag, and his dashboard also displayed the red flag well before the overtake occurred. The stewards emphasized the importance of immediate compliance with red flag rules for safety reasons, especially on a challenging circuit like Monaco.

Bearman's Defense

During his visit to the stewards, Bearman argued that slowing down abruptly would have posed a safety risk given the nature of the Monaco circuit. However, the stewards disagreed, stating that he should have taken steps to slow down sufficiently to avoid overtaking another car and instead proceed slowly back to the pits as required.

Additional Penalties

In addition to the grid drop, Bearman received two penalty points on his license. This incident marks his second consecutive weekend involving red flag violations. Previously, during qualifying at Imola, Bearman was controversially eliminated from Q1 when his lap was deleted after he crossed the line moments after a red flag was thrown for Franco Colapinto's crash.

Team's Response

Haas is awaiting a full review of the Imola decision and has expressed strong disagreement with the FIA's order of events regarding the timing of the red flag and its appearance on the circuit.

Conclusion

Oliver Bearman's grid penalty underscores the critical importance of adhering to safety protocols in Formula 1 racing, particularly under red flag conditions. As the Monaco Grand Prix approaches, all eyes will be on Bearman to see how he navigates the challenges of starting further back on the grid.