Haas rookie Oliver Bearman’s debut Monaco Grand Prix weekend has been severely impacted as he received a ten-place grid penalty due to a breach during Friday’s second practice session on the Monte Carlo street circuit. The penalty was imposed after Bearman was found to have overtaken another driver under red-flag conditions, a violation that drew the attention of race officials.
During FP2, a crash by Oscar Piastri resulted in a red flag, suspending the session. Upon review of video footage and data, officials identified Bearman attempting to pass Carlos Sainz Jr. despite the active red flag, which led to a formal investigation and subsequent penalty.
Details of the Red Flag Breach Explored by Race Stewards
Following the incident, Bearman and a team representative were called to discuss the circumstances with race stewards. Bearman explained that although he recognized the red flags, he chose not to decelerate abruptly, fearing that sudden braking would pose greater danger. He argued that his actions were intended to maintain safety by handling the situation more cautiously.
However, race officials contested this justification, highlighting that the red flag was visible well before the overtake attempt. The driver had clear warnings including a light panel displayed in front of his cockpit and dashboard indicators signaling the red flag earlier in the sequence. Furthermore, the team’s communication to Bearman about the red flag arrived only moments before the overtake.
Rules Governing Red Flag Procedures and Bearman’s Penalty
Stewards referred specifically to the International Sporting Code Article 2.5.4.1 b, which mandates that upon a red flag, a driver must “immediately” reduce speed and return slowly to their garage. The rules explicitly forbid overtaking during a red flag due to the presence of race and service vehicles on track, which raises significant safety concerns.
The stewards stated their disapproval of Bearman’s decision not to slow down adequately, emphasizing that drivers must proceed cautiously to avoid endangering others. They stressed the critical importance of this regulation, particularly on a narrow and complex circuit like Monaco, where visibility and reaction time are limited.
The whole purpose of requiring drivers to slow down immediately is for safety — they will not know what is in front of them or the reason for the red flag being shown. This is particularly so in a track like Monaco.
—Race Stewards
Consequences and Implications for Bearman’s Championship Campaign
With no mitigating circumstances to lessen the severity of the infringement, officials imposed a harsh ten-place grid drop on Bearman for the upcoming race. In addition to the grid penalty, two penalty points were added to his FIA Super License, increasing his total to four. Earlier in the season, Bearman had already received two points for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Accumulating twelve penalty points within a calendar year triggers an automatic one-race suspension, putting pressure on Bearman to maintain clean conduct throughout the remainder of the season. This penalty at Monaco not only affects his starting position on one of the most challenging tracks but also adds to the rookie’s ongoing battle to establish himself in Formula 1.
