Source: Official Team Post via X
Oliver Bearman Penalised for Unsafe Pit Release in Brazil
Oliver Bearman received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release into Charles Leclerc's path during the Brazilian Grand Prix. The penalty did not affect Bearman's finishing position.
The FIA has handed Haas driver Oliver Bearman a five-second penalty following an incident involving Charles Leclerc at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The stewards determined that Haas was responsible for an unsafe release of Bearman, which forced Leclerc to take evasive action to avoid the pit wall.
Rain once again played a role at Interlagos, with conditions changing throughout the race. After a dry spell following pre-race showers, the rain resumed in the final laps, prompting drivers to switch back to intermediate tyres. During this busy period in the pit lane, Bearman was released into the path of Leclerc’s Ferrari, leading to the investigation and subsequent penalty.
Despite the penalty, Bearman’s final position of 17th remained unchanged. He wasn’t the only driver penalized for a similar infraction; Kimi Antonelli also received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release involving Franco Colapinto's Alpine, though his finishing position was unaffected.
The stewards' report stated: "The stewards heard from the driver of Car 87 (Oliver Bearman), the driver of Car 16 (Charles Leclerc), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, and in-car video evidence. BEA was released from its pit stop into the path of LEC, which was already proceeding along the pit lane. As a result, LEC was forced to brake and take evasive action, being squeezed towards the pit wall on the right-hand side. The stewards determined that BEA was released in an unsafe manner and therefore imposed a five-second time penalty."
Charles Leclerc had additional dealings with the stewards after the race, as he was summoned regarding a clash with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls. Leclerc was penalized five seconds for causing a minor collision with Lawson, which resulted in the Monegasque losing a position to Lawson in the final classification. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, watching from the cooldown room, quipped, "Rubbing is racing," but the stewards saw it differently.
In terms of the Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari’s hopes were dashed in Sao Paulo as Mercedes secured its first title since 2021.