Haas Questions FIA Decision on Oliver Bearman's Qualifying Lap

Haas team seeks written clarification from the FIA on Oliver Bearman's qualifying result, which saw him start last in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Haas is seeking written clarification from the FIA regarding the qualifying decision that dropped Oliver Bearman to last place on the grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Bearman's fastest lap was deleted after he crossed the line just after the session was stopped due to Franco Colapinto's crash, preventing him from advancing to the second phase of qualifying.

Haas has sought written clarification from the FIA over Oliver Bearman's qualifying result, which saw the British rookie start 19th (last) on the grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Bearman's lap was deleted after he crossed the line after the session was stopped due to Franco Colapinto's crash.

“We similarly asked what measures the FIA/Race Control can put in place moving forward to ensure that this situation is avoided in the future to the benefit of F1,” Haas said, after discussing the matter with the FIA on Saturday night. The team's request came after Yuki Tsunoda's car was rebuilt following a crash, forcing him to start from the pit lane.

The FIA determined that Oliver Bearman crossed the line 3.3 seconds after the red flag signal was displayed. However, Bearman disputed this, saying he didn't see the light on his dashboard until after he had crossed the line. “We get the red light on our dash. That for me didn't happen until quite a way after I crossed the line,” he said.

“Watching the outboard video, it was clear that there was no red flag displayed when I crossed the line. So, I believe it's totally unfair to have (it) deleted.

“I feel like once they make a decision, even if it's wrong - even if it's clearly wrong - they're not going to turn back on it. And that seems a bit harsh.”

The FIA has released a statement regarding Haas F1’s Ollie Bearman getting his lap deleted in Q1 at Imola: pic.twitter.com/Dl0DVANlul

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