Oliver Bearman’s Qualifying Controversy at Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Imola, Italy – British driver Oliver Bearman faced disappointment during qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix when his fastest lap was disqualified due to a late red flag. The Haas driver expressed frustration, stating he was not informed of the red flag until well after crossing the finish line.
The qualifying session was interrupted by two red flags. The first was triggered by Yuki Tsunoda’s crash into the wall, followed by a significant incident involving Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Bearman, who had been on a promising lap, was affected by the subsequent red flags just as he completed his time.
Bearman qualified in 19th position, right behind Tsunoda, who failed to set a time due to his crash. "We get the red light on our dash, but it didn’t happen until after I crossed the line," Bearman remarked, indicating that he believed he completed his lap before the order to halt.
He added, “It’s totally unfair to have [the lap] deleted,” emphasizing the harshness of the ruling. Despite a plea for reconsideration from the Haas team, the stewards confirmed that Bearman’s time was disallowed, leading to an unexpected delay as they consulted timing experts.
According to the FIA, the red flag was deployed at 16:32:17.6 seconds, while Bearman crossed the line at 16:32:20.9 seconds, rendering his lap invalid. The organization maintained that the integrity of the qualifying process warranted the decision.
With a strategic upgrade for this race, Bearman expressed disappointment at missing the chance to showcase the new package. He will start the race alongside teammate Esteban Ocon, who qualified 18th.
As the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix approaches, the Haas team and Bearman look to recover from this setback, hoping for a better performance in the race.
