Oliver Bearman has criticised the FIA stewards after receiving a 10-second penalty for colliding with Pierre Gasly during the 2026 United States Grand Prix, describing the punishment as “absurd” and “far too excessive”. The Haas driver believes the incident at Turn 11 should have been considered a racing incident and has questioned the consistency of penalties issued throughout the Formula 1 season.
The British driver argued that more serious incidents have either gone unpunished or resulted in smaller five-second penalties during the championship. However, the stewards concluded that Oliver Bearman was entirely responsible for the collision with Pierre Gasly, imposing a 10-second time penalty that contributed to the Haas driver’s retirement from the race.
Oliver Bearman disputes 10-second FIA penalty after Pierre Gasly collision
The controversy arose when Oliver Bearman attempted to overtake Pierre Gasly at Turn 11 of the Circuit of the Americas. The two drivers made contact during the manoeuvre, with the stewards subsequently determining that the Haas driver was responsible for causing the collision.
Oliver Bearman was handed a 10-second penalty, which he served before retiring from the Grand Prix to avoid carrying the sanction over to the following race. Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, continued and eventually crossed the finish line in tenth position, securing one championship point for Alpine.
The incident formed part of a difficult afternoon for the British driver, who also suffered damage to his Haas during the collision. His frustration was directed not only at the outcome of the investigation but also at what he considered an inconsistent approach to similar incidents elsewhere during the season.
Oliver Bearman believes contact with Pierre Gasly was a racing incident
After the Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman explained that he had compared his punishment with several other decisions made by Formula 1 stewards throughout the year. The Haas driver was particularly unhappy with the severity of the sanction, arguing that comparable or more serious incidents had received considerably lighter treatment.
“I was quite shocked, to be honest. If anything, it was just a racing incident. I felt I had been treated unfairly, especially with a 10-second penalty, considering some incidents this year that have gone unpunished or have received five seconds,” Oliver Bearman explained.
The Briton also challenged the circumstances of the contact itself, insisting that Pierre Gasly had not left sufficient room for him to complete the attempted overtake. According to Oliver Bearman, the available space was extremely limited, but he had already committed to the manoeuvre and could not simply withdraw from the situation.
“There was a bit of space, but barely enough for half a car, and once I had committed to the move, I couldn’t exactly disappear,” he argued.
The damage sustained in the collision also had a significant impact on the performance of his Haas. Oliver Bearman explained that the loss of aerodynamic downforce had left him struggling for pace, costing him approximately one second on every lap.
“I was losing a second per lap because of the loss of downforce,” the British driver revealed.
Why FIA stewards held Oliver Bearman responsible for the Austin collision
Despite Oliver Bearman’s objections, the FIA stewards reached a clear conclusion when reviewing the incident. Their decision focused on the relative positions of the two cars at the apex of Turn 11, specifically whether the Haas had established sufficient overlap with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
According to the official explanation, the front axle of Oliver Bearman’s car had not reached the position of Pierre Gasly’s rear-view mirror at the moment of contact. On that basis, the stewards determined that the British driver was entirely responsible for the collision and imposed the 10-second penalty.
“Car 87, driven by Oliver Bearman, attempted to overtake Car 10 at Turn 11. At the moment of contact, at the apex, the front axle of Car 87 was not ahead of the mirror of Car 10. The stewards determined that the driver of Car 87 was wholly responsible for the collision and therefore imposed a 10-second penalty.”
The explanation highlights the difference between the drivers’ interpretation of the incident and the stewards’ assessment. While Oliver Bearman maintained that Pierre Gasly had left him insufficient space, the officials concluded that the Haas driver had not established the required position alongside the Alpine when the cars made contact.
FIA penalty consistency questioned after United States Grand Prix
Oliver Bearman’s criticism centres on the consistency of Formula 1 stewarding, rather than simply the fact that he received a sanction. The Haas driver believes that a 10-second penalty was disproportionate when compared with other incidents during the 2026 season, some of which resulted in five-second penalties or no punishment at all.
Questions about driving standards and stewarding decisions have also been raised by other drivers, including Fernando Alonso following his collision with Alexander Albon at Austin. Although the circumstances of those incidents were different, both generated criticism surrounding on-track conduct during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
Oliver Bearman’s race ultimately ended in retirement, while Pierre Gasly left Austin with a point for Alpine. The stewards’ verdict remained unchanged despite the Haas driver’s objections, leaving the Briton frustrated by a decision he believes was more severe than the incident warranted.
The collision also featured among the incidents that influenced the overall race classification, with the wider United States Grand Prix race analysis highlighting Oliver Bearman’s penalty and retirement alongside the performances of the leading teams.
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