British Driver Oliver Bearman Expresses Frustration Over Deleted Fastest Lap

Haas driver Oliver Bearman has expressed his disappointment after the FIA disallowed his fastest lap in qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix due to a late red flag during the session. The British racer claims he was not informed of the red flag until after crossing the finish line.

Two Red Flags Mar Qualifying Session

The qualifying session for Formula 1’s Imola GP was disrupted by two red flags. The first stoppage occurred when Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda hit the wall, and a second red flag fell following a violent crash involving newly promoted Alpine driver Franco Colapinto.

Colapinto’s crash ended the session, but Bearman was on a fast lap as the red flags flew. The British driver maintains he was not informed of the red flags until after crossing the line, which would normally have meant his lap stood.

FIA Ruling and Its Impact

However, the FIA ruled that the flags fell before Bearman finished the lap, making it ineligible for the session. As a result, Bearman qualified 19th, ahead of only Tsunoda who set no time due to his crash.

The decision meant Bearman missed an opportunity to move up the order and potentially qualify for Q2 ahead of the Imola GP. The Haas team attempted to argue Bearman’s case, leading to a delay in the start of Q2 in Italy. However, the stewards did not change their decision.

Bearman expressed his frustration, stating that it was unfair for his lap to be deleted and that the FIA seemed unwilling to reconsider their decision, even if it was incorrect.

Implications for Bearman and Haas

The call means Bearman will line up 19th for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix tomorrow, with teammate Esteban Ocon next to him in 18th place. Bearman lamented that this was a missed opportunity to showcase a new package the team has been working on for months.

Bearman believes the fast lap he put in could have demonstrated the car’s potential and maximized its performance, but instead, it resulted in a disappointing qualifying position.

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