Haas Seeks Clarification from FIA Over Bearman’s Dis… Read more
Haas has formally requested further clarification from the FIA following a contentious decision that saw their reserve driver, Oliver Bearman, eliminated from Q1 during qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Bearman, who was standing in for an injured Nico Hülkenberg, had posted a lap time good enough for 10th place in the closing moments of the session. However, the lap was invalidated after race control ruled it had been completed after red flags were brought out due to Franco Colapinto’s crash.
Bearman, visibly frustrated, argued that from his perspective the red flag signal only appeared after he had already crossed the line. “We get the red light on our dash, and for me, that didn’t happen until quite a bit after I crossed the line,” he explained. He pointed to video evidence that, in his view, clearly showed the absence of a red flag display at the moment he finished his lap. “I believe it’s totally unfair to have the lap deleted,” Bearman said, adding that once a decision is made by race control, it rarely gets reversed even when proven questionable, which he feels is an unfair aspect of the process.
In response to the criticism, the FIA issued a detailed explanation on Saturday evening. According to their statement, the red flag was officially triggered at 16:32:17.6, while Bearman crossed the line at 16:32:20.9—three seconds later. The FIA also stated that the red flag signal was already active on the start gantry at the time Bearman completed his lap. They emphasized that the delay in starting Q2 was due to a thorough review of the incident, involving consultation with timing experts to validate the sequence of events and ensure the accuracy of the system.
The governing body said its primary goal was to determine whether Bearman completed his lap before or after the red flag, as this would directly impact which drivers were eligible to proceed to Q2.
Haas, unsatisfied with the outcome and explanation, revealed on Sunday that they had requested a more comprehensive written clarification from the FIA. A team spokesperson said they also asked what preventative measures could be introduced to avoid similar incidents in the future. “We want to review the matter in full and understand how such situations will be handled moving forward,” the spokesperson added.
As it stands, Bearman is set to start 19th on the grid for Sunday’s race at Imola, despite his belief that he had earned a place in the next qualifying session.
