How Oliver Bearman is nearing race ban in rookie F1 season
9th September 2025Haas’ Formula 1 rookie, Oliver Bearman is nearing a race ban in his first-ever season in the premier single-seater sport, but how did he get here?
Feature image credit: Haas F1
Bearman is one of five rookies on the grid this year, joining the likes of Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson, including Franco Colapinto, who was parachuted back into an F1 seat after Alpine axed Jack Doohan six races into the season.
However, Bearman has been in hot water with the stewards more than the other rookies as the British driver has accumulated 10 penalty points since his debut race weekend, as a full-time F1 driver, in March.
As it currently stands, Bearman is on the cusp of a race ban. If the Briton obtains 12 penalty points (two more than he has now) on his super licence, he will be forced to take a race ban in the next event he participates in – if that allowance is breached.
This is a rule which was introduced in 2014 and has only been enacted once… at Haas. Last year, Kevin Magnussen breached the allowed limit, obtaining 12 points after last year’s Italian Grand Prix, and was subsequently replaced by Bearman for the following Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
So, how did he get here?
2024 Brazilian Grand Prix – 2 Points
Expires: November 3, 2025
In his final appearance as a substitute driver, having replaced Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Magnussen in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, respectively, Bearman took a hit as the stewards applied his first round of penalty points to his once-clean superlicence at the Brazilian GP.
The Briton’s first set of penalty points came after a collision with Franco Colapinto in the race, at turn 10. The officials deemed Bearman was ‘wholly at fault’ for the incident between the two drivers, and issued him a 10-second time penalty for the collision.
Additionally, it was revealed in the steward’s report that they slapped him with two penalty points.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix – 2 Points
Expires: May 23, 2026
On the iconic streets of Monaco, Bearman was given his second bout of penalty points, and his first of the 2025 season, at the Monaco Grand Prix, after the Haas driver was deemed to have overtaken Williams’ Carlos Sainz under red flag conditions.
Whilst the stewards confirmed the team had informed their driver late, before the overtake on Sainz happened, it was revealed by the officials’ report that Bearman had been made aware, by his dashboard and the light panel, of the red flag.
Bearman argued that if he had slowed abruptly, it would’ve resulted in a ‘more dangerous’ situation, but the Stewards rejected this view.
In the end, they issued the Haas driver with a 10-place grid penalty for the Monaco race and two penalty points.
2025 British Grand Prix – 4 Points
Expires: July 5, 2026
Bearman’s third infringement in his F1 rookie career came at his home event where he breached compliance with red flag procedures, crashing at the dying embers of the session after Gabriel Bortoleto brought out the late red flag, at Silverstone.
It was reviewed by the stewards, who confirmed the British driver entered the pit lane at race pace, simulating race conditions for pit entry, under red flag conditions, and lost control of his car before he crashed into the barrier.
At this first home race as an F1 driver, the Briton was slapped with a 10-place grid penalty and four penalty points.
2025 Italian Grand Prix – 2 Points
Expires: September 7, 2026
In the most recent event, the Italian Grand Prix, Bearman and Sainz had a tangle at turn four, as Sainz made contact with the Briton’s front-right tyre with his rear-left, and this sent the two drivers into a spin.
The stewards believed that Bearman was predominantly at fault, stating Sainz was ahead at the apex and thus earning the right to the racing line, and the officials issued the Haas driver a 10-second time penalty in the race.
It was later revealed that they had also added two penalty points to his super licence.
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- F1 extend Monaco Grand Prix contract until 2035
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
