F1 star scared over race BAN following US Grand Prix penalty

A British F1 star has revealed that they feared receiving a race ban following a penalty at the US Grand Prix.

Haas star Ollie Bearman was awarded a 10-second time penalty by the FIA’s stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during Saturday’s sprint race.

As fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli attempted an overtake on Bearman on the inside of Turn 12, the Brit left the track on the outside and re-joined in front of the Mercedes star.

However, the stewards determined that Antonelli attempted a legitimate overtake and was entitled to the racing line because the front axle of his Mercedes was ahead of Bearman’s mirror prior to and at the apex.

The stewards also decided that Antonelli did not deliberately force Bearman off the track, whereas the Haas star gained a lasting advantage from leaving the track by maintaining his position.

Therefore, Bearman was given a 10-second time penalty; but the 20-year-old revealed his fear that he would have also received a race ban.

Bearman reveals race ban fears

Bearman currently has 10 penalty points on his licence, two away from the 12 point threshold that earns a driver a race ban.

The British racing star has acquired penalty points in four grands prix during his F1 career, with two points expiring on November 3 after he acquired them at the 2024 Brazilian GP.

This means that Bearman will have to complete a clean weekend in Mexico if he wants to avoid a ban for the 2025 Brazilian GP.

Speaking to the media in Austin, Bearman claimed that the penalty from the sprint race was harsh, and that at one point he feared he had neared a race ban.

“I don’t know what you guys thought, but I felt pretty hard done by this morning,” Bearman said.

“Actually, I thought I had a race ban for a minute, so I was really, really annoyed. Obviously, with everything that happened, I had a bit of fire in me.”

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