Oliver Bearman inches closer to F1 race ban after Abu Dhabi penalty

Oliver Bearman now sits just two penalty points away from receiving an F1 race ban after picking up another penalty in Abu Dhabi.

During the season finale around the Yas Marina Circuit, Bearman was caught up in a battle with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll.

However, the Briton was flagged for making “more than one change of direction to defend its position” and was subsequently investigated.

Bearman was then handed a five-second time penalty, which dropped him out of the points, while another penalty point was added to his super licence.

It takes his total tally up to 10 points in the last 12 months, with the first points not disappearing from his licence until midway through the Canadian Grand Prix weekend next May.

Any driver who picks up 12 points in a 12-month period is handed an automatic race ban, with Kevin Magnussen being the first to fall to the rule in 2024, which subsequently gave Bearman his Haas debut.

Speaking after the race, Bearman voiced his annoyance with the penalty.

“I didn't know I wasn't allowed to break the tow anymore, so that's strange,” Bearman told media including RacingNews365. 

“I'm not sure why I was penalised. Of course, I was moving to defend my position, but I moved to break the tow, which is one separate thing, and then I defended my position. 

“I left Lance space. Some of these rulings, we need to understand why they were made.”