There was a stir at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix when Oliver Bearman found himself abruptly sidelined from qualifying.
Bearman’s promising lap time of 1:16.077 during the initial stage seemed to guarantee his advancement. However, as he returned to the Haas garage, his fortune changed swiftly. He was dropped to 19th place after his time was erased with no immediate explanation.
The situation unfolded when the race authorities declared that Bearman had crossed the finish line ‘3.2 seconds’ following the red flag signal, which was raised due to Franco Colapinto’s crash at Tamburello chicane. Bearman was adamant that no such warning was visible as he completed his lap.
“We rely on the red lights on the dashboard, and for me, it didn’t show until well past the finish,” Bearman explained to reporters, emphasizing his point by citing video evidence that backed his claim of a clear track when he crossed the line.
Despite Haas’ attempt to address this with the FIA the night following the incident, the team left the discussions seeking more clarity. Sky F1 commentator Anthony Davidson mentioned that Haas was ‘invited’ rather than summoned, to discuss how the FIA reached its conclusion not to honor Bearman’s lap time.
Feeling unsatisfied with the answers received, Haas is pressing for more detailed explanations and a preventive action plan from the FIA to avert similar issues in the future. “We need further written clarification on how decisions like these are made to thoroughly review them,” stated Haas, underlining their demand for improved measures for the benefit of Formula 1.
Meanwhile, Bearman’s premature exit allowed Gabriel Bortoleto to advance to Q2, leaving Haas considering what could have been a more favorable outcome had the decision been different.
As the dust settles from this controversy, Haas is determined to gain a deeper understanding of FIA’s decision-making process to prevent repeat occurrences that could impact their racing potential.
