FIA announce late demotion on F1 star after....

FIA announce late demotion on F1 star after….read more

The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix weekend has taken another downturn for young Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman, after the FIA confirmed late on Saturday that he will be forced to start the race from the pit lane. The ruling comes after Haas made multiple changes to his car that exceeded the permitted allocation of key power unit components.

Bearman, who is still adapting to life as a full-time F1 driver with Haas, endured a tough qualifying session at Zandvoort. In an extremely close Q1 session where the entire field was covered by just over one second, Haas found themselves lacking pace. Bearman managed only the 19th-fastest time, ahead of Lance Stroll who was classified last after failing to set a lap in his Aston Martin. Bearman’s teammate Esteban Ocon also struggled, slotting into 18th place.

Although qualifying was already disappointing for Haas, things became worse when the team opted to change several elements on Bearman’s car. The decision, while aimed at improving performance and reliability, triggered automatic penalties under Formula 1’s strict sporting regulations.

According to the FIA, Haas fitted Bearman’s VF-24 with a new internal combustion engine, a turbocharger, and fresh energy recovery system units – specifically the MGU-H (motor generator unit – heat) and the MGU-K (motor generator unit – kinetic). These updates pushed Bearman beyond the season’s permitted usage limits. Each driver is only allowed to use four of these power unit components during a championship season, but after Haas’s changes, Bearman is now on his fifth of each.

On top of that, Haas also installed a new control electronics unit in his car. While the rules allow each driver to use only two of these during a season, this new addition marked Bearman’s third. As the modifications were carried out without prior authorization from the FIA’s technical delegate, the matter was referred to the race stewards. Their review concluded that Bearman must start the Dutch Grand Prix from the pit lane instead of his original 19th place on the grid.

For Bearman, the penalty adds to what has been a difficult run of races. Despite showing flashes of potential in his rookie season, the British teenager has now gone 10 consecutive Grands Prix without scoring a point in the main races. His only reward in recent months came at the Belgian Grand Prix sprint event, where he managed to secure seventh place and claim two championship points.

Frustratingly, Bearman has been agonizingly close to breaking into the points on several occasions. In fact, in four of the last five races he has finished 11th – just one place shy of the top ten positions that award points. Such near-misses underline both his promise and his misfortune, as small margins and strategic calls have repeatedly left him empty-handed.

Haas, too, are under pressure as the 2025 season enters its latter stages. The team currently sits ninth in the Constructors’ Championship with 35 points. They are 15 points ahead of bottom-placed Alpine but remain 10 points adrift of the Racing Bulls, who hold eighth place. Should the American team fail to add to their tally at Zandvoort, it would mark the first time this season that Haas have gone four races in a row without scoring.

The Dutch Grand Prix has already proven challenging for teams and drivers alike, with its tight corners and high-speed banking leaving little margin for error. Starting from the pit lane, Bearman faces an uphill task to salvage anything from the race. He will need to rely on an aggressive strategy, safety car interventions, or a dose of good fortune if he hopes to climb into the points.

For Haas, the decision to take new power unit elements may pay off in the long run, ensuring better reliability and performance in upcoming races. But in the short term, it leaves their rookie driver with yet another mountain to climb on Sunday.

As the grid prepares for lights out in Zandvoort, all eyes will be on whether Bearman can turn his pit-lane setback into a spirited fight through the field, or whether his barren run in the points will continue.