Haas F1 team demands explanation for controversial Bearman Q1 exit

Haas has asked the FIA for written clarification after Oliver Bearman was kicked out of qualifying for Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna GP during the first session.

The Brit looked to have posted a lap time that was sufficient to see him safely into Q2; however, it came at the precise time the session was red-flagged following a crash for Franco Colapinto.

The FIA deliberated over the decision during the interval as Colapinto’s Alpine was recovered from the track before Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto proceeded down the pitlane in Bearman’s place.

Stewards had ruled that Bearman’s lap should be expunged from the timesheets, given the red flag. However, Haas believed the lap should have stood as Bearman had crossed the line before the red flag was shown.

Haas believed the FIA had made a mistake in their judgement and has now demanded a full explanation from F1’s governing body.

Haas said in a statement on Sunday morning: “After discussions last night with the FIA, we have subsequently asked for further written clarification on the decision-making concerning Ollie Bearman’s final Q1 lap, in order for us to review more comprehensively.

“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. Upon review we will be more informed to comment.”

TV pictures and live timing information showed that Bearman had crossed the line before the red flag, meaning he should have progressed into Q2.

On Saturday night, the FIA defended its decision in a statement saying: “The red flag was set at 16:32 and 17.6 seconds.

“Bearman crossed the line at 16:32 and 20.9 seconds, with the abort signal/red flag showing on the start gantry.

“Qualifying Two was delayed to enable the stewards to consult the relevant timing experts and examine the underlining data to satisfy themselves that the timing system data was valid and it was therefore right to proceed.

“The overriding objective was to determine whether or not Bearman had completed the lap before or after the red flag and whether the lap should be disallowed, to ensure the right drivers progressed to Qualifying Two.”

However, Bearman was unhappy after qualifying and hailed the FIA’s decision as “unfair”.

He said: “We get the red light on our dash. That for me didn’t happen until quite a way after I crossed the line.

“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 [the lap] 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.”