BREAKING: F1 Star Forced Into Shock Retirement at M…read more
F1 Star Ollie Bearman Forced into Shock Retirement at Miami Grand Prix
Formula 1 rookie Ollie Bearman suffered a heartbreaking early exit from the Miami Grand Prix after a dramatic mechanical failure saw his VF-25 grind to a halt on lap 29. The 19-year-old Brit was running competitively when smoke and sparks began pouring from his Haas, prompting a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and disrupting race strategies across the grid.
Sky F1’s David Croft noted Bearman was “just cruising around” when his car began to fail, with the rookie heard on team radio exclaiming: “Oh my God, I lost everything.” His engineer quickly suggested a power unit issue was at the heart of the breakdown.
Fellow Sky pundit Martin Brundle added, “That did sound like a power unit as well, didn’t it? Because the sparks coming out the exhaust—he’s lost hydraulics so you lose throttle, power steering—that’s gremlins in there big time.”
Bearman’s stricken car was parked awkwardly on the track, prompting the VSC that fortuitously benefited Lewis Hamilton, who pitted just as it was deployed. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, however, missed the opportunity, having passed the pit entry moments earlier.
Bearman became the second retirement of the race after Jack Doohan bowed out on the opening lap. The technical woes continued shortly after, with fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto also retiring due to apparent engine troubles in his Sauber—a Ferrari customer team—echoing similar concerns over power unit reliability.
Bearman’s early exit marks a disappointing end to what had been a promising run in only the sixth race of his F1 debut season. The young Brit’s performance until that point had drawn praise, further amplifying the frustration of his retirement.
