Haas racer Oliver Bearman received a 10-place grid penalty for the Monaco GP for overtaking Carlos Sainz under red flag conditions. This is the second tough stewarding decision Bearman faced in a week, but it might benefit him in the long term. Bearman expressed frustration over the consistency in the FIA’s decisions, especially after being penalized in Imola due to a red flag incident.
A week later at Monaco, Bearman found himself in another controversy when he was penalized for overtaking Sainz under red flag conditions during FP2. The FIA report mentioned that Bearman was informed late about the red flag, but dashboard indicators showed he had enough warning. Despite Bearman’s argument that slowing down would be more dangerous, the stewards disagreed.
The 10-place penalty for Bearman is the first such harsh punishment in 13 years, reminiscent of Pastor Maldonado’s penalty in 2008. Bearman felt hard done by the decision, especially considering the mitigating circumstances and lack of time to react. While frustrated, Bearman’s grid penalty may offer Haas strategic opportunities for the race, as they anticipate the first mandatory two-stop race in F1 history.
