After finishing eighth at the UK Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman was promoted to seventh due to a grid penalty at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, which benefitted fellow rookie Kimmi Antonelli. This meant Bearman was set to start from the highest grid position of his Formula 1 career.
However, he will not be starting there. Instead, a “silly error” resulted in a ten-place grid drop, pushing him back to 18th.
During the final practice on Saturday, an accident involving Gabriel Boltreto caused a red flag. Bearman lost control of his VF-25 and crashed into a wall before stopping on his way back to the pit. This incident unfortunately cost him not just his front wing but also his best-ever starting position.
The race steward found that Bearman “slowly didn’t return to the pit lane under the red flag,” resulting in a grid penalty and four points added to his FIA Super License.
After the session, Bearman took full responsibility for the incident. “That’s terrible. Honestly, it’s horrible, but I can blame myself. It’s my fault and this morning was a very stupid mistake,” he said.
“We had a very slow wrap between the red flags but came into the pit entry with cold tires and brakes. When you hit the brakes with them being cold, you lose grip and really feel the consequences of that. It’s a tough lesson, but hopefully, I can race well tomorrow,” he added.
Despite the setback and penalty, Bearman managed to find some positives. “On the other hand, I’m really pleased that we were well qualified. We brought an upgrade this weekend, and being in the top ten feels great to validate the team’s hard work,” he noted.
“Qualifying has been a weakness for us recently, so it’s great to be in the top ten on tracks where we haven’t been strong this season. I know I’ll be starting from last, but I’ll see what I can do.”
