FIA Confirms British GP Grid Penalty Over Reckless Driving Incident
Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle has shared his thoughts on the penalty handed to British Formula 1 newcomer Oliver Bearman, following a serious incident during the final practice session at Silverstone ahead of the British Grand Prix. Brundle noted that in earlier eras of the sport, such an infraction might have resulted in Bearman being completely disqualified from the race weekend.
The incident happened during Saturday morning’s FP3 session, when Bearman crashed into the pit lane barriers, damaging his Haas car’s front wing. At the time, the session was under red flag conditions due to an earlier crash involving Gabriel Bortoleto. Bearman’s actions triggered an investigation by FIA stewards, who concluded that he had driven recklessly at a time when maximum caution was mandated.
As a consequence, the 20-year-old driver was hit with a 10-place grid penalty and received four penalty points on his FIA superlicence — the highest number allowed for a single incident. The stewards emphasized that red flags signify serious danger on track, and Bearman’s disregard for this justified the harsh punishment, in accordance with updated FIA disciplinary standards.
Initially, Bearman had secured an impressive eighth place in qualifying, setting him up for a strong start at his debut home Grand Prix. However, the penalty dropped him to 18th on the grid, severely denting his hopes of scoring points.
Commentating live, Brundle said that in previous decades, such a misstep could have led to full disqualification. “Back in the day, that kind of error would have seen a driver sent home,” he remarked. While acknowledging it likely wasn’t intentional, he stressed the importance of respecting red flag protocols: “You just can’t go charging into the pit lane during a red flag. You never know what hazard lies ahead.”
Bearman’s penalty points tally has now risen to eight. If he reaches 12 within a 12-month period, he’ll face a mandatory one-race ban. That means the young Brit must tread carefully for the rest of the season.
With the penalty pushing him to the back of the field, Bearman faces an uphill battle to finish in the points at what was supposed to be a promising home race debut.
