BREAKING: FIA Confirms Second Penalty After Dramatic Finish to Spanish GP… Read more
FIA Confirms Second Penalty After Dramatic Finish to Spanish Grand Prix
The FIA has confirmed a second post-race penalty following a dramatic and incident-filled Spanish Grand Prix, which was already marked by controversy after Max Verstappen received a significant time penalty for a late-race incident involving George Russell.
Verstappen, who crossed the line in fifth place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, was handed a 10-second time penalty shortly after the chequered flag. The stewards determined that he had caused a collision with Mercedes’ George Russell, a ruling that demoted the Red Bull driver down to 10th in the official standings and significantly impacted his points tally.
However, Verstappen was not the only driver to receive a penalty from the FIA. A much later announcement revealed that Oliver Bearman, the young British driver standing in once again for Haas, was also penalised. Bearman was handed a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage during a wheel-to-wheel battle with Liam Lawson of the Racing Bulls team.
The incident between Bearman and Lawson occurred at Turn 1 of the Barcelona circuit. In a statement published by the FIA, the stewards explained their decision in detail: “Car 30 (Lawson) was overtaking car 87 (Bearman) on the inside of Turn 1. Car 30 was well ahead of the mirror of car 87 at the apex of the corner. Car 87 left the track and took the escape road, rejoining ahead of car 30 at Turn 3, thereby gaining an advantage. Car 87 did not voluntarily give the position back.”
Although Lawson managed to overtake Bearman on the following lap, the stewards determined that Bearman’s initial move had still given him an unfair and lasting advantage, which merited the time penalty. “We accordingly imposed a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage,” the FIA concluded.
Bearman’s penalty did not significantly alter the outcome of his race, as the 19-year-old had already endured a difficult weekend. He finished in 17th place, the last of the classified drivers still running at the end of the Grand Prix. It capped off what was a tough outing for the Haas team overall. Both Bearman and teammate Esteban Ocon, who was also racing for Haas in Spain, failed to make an impact in qualifying, starting from 15th and 17th respectively.
Come race day, the pair struggled to make progress through the field. Ocon managed to finish 16th, just ahead of Bearman, with both drivers well out of the points and unable to capitalise on any of the chaos that unfolded ahead of them.
The late nature of Bearman’s penalty also delayed the release of the FIA’s final classification for the race. With Verstappen’s demotion already shaking up the order, the confirmation of Bearman’s penalty served as another reminder of the FIA’s commitment to strict rule enforcement, even well after the race has concluded.
Overall, while Verstappen’s clash with Russell dominated headlines, Bearman’s infraction added to the sense of post-race drama in Barcelona, highlighting the fine margins and high-stakes decisions that shape the final outcomes in Formula 1.
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