Ollie Bearman Handed 10-Place Grid Penalty for Red Flag Infringement at Monaco GP
Haas F1 rookie Ollie Bearman has been issued a 10-place grid penalty for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix after overtaking under red flag conditions during the second practice session on Friday. The incident occurred when Bearman passed Carlos Sainz’s Williams at La Rascasse following a red flag triggered by Oscar Piastri’s crash at Sainte Devote. Despite the session being halted, Bearman proceeded with the overtake, prompting an investigation by the stewards.
Upon reviewing video footage and telemetry data, the stewards concluded that Bearman had sufficient warning of the red flag. They noted that a light panel directly ahead of him displayed the red flag, and his dashboard also indicated the session stoppage well before the overtake took place. The regulations mandate that drivers must “immediately” reduce speed and refrain from overtaking under red flag conditions.
Bearman defended his actions by stating that he saw the red flags but chose not to slow down abruptly, believing that a sudden deceleration could have been more dangerous. He argued that his approach was a safer way to handle the situation. However, the stewards rejected this reasoning, emphasizing that the primary purpose of the red flag protocol is to ensure safety, especially on circuits like Monaco where visibility and space are limited.
In addition to the grid penalty, Bearman received two penalty points on his super licence, bringing his total to four within the last 12 months. Accumulating 12 points in a year results in an automatic race ban, so Bearman will need to exercise caution in future events to avoid further infractions.
This penalty adds to Bearman’s recent challenges. At the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, he had his fastest qualifying lap deleted for crossing the line 3.3 seconds after a red flag was displayed, relegating him to 19th on the grid. Haas sought clarification from the FIA regarding that decision, as Bearman contended that he did not see the red light on his dashboard and that external video footage showed the red flag was not visible when he crossed the line.
With the Monaco Grand Prix being one of the most challenging circuits for overtaking, starting