Bearman Fumes Over 'Totally Unfair' FIA Call That Deleted Imola Qualifying Lap

Oliver Bearman expressed significant frustration following the deletion of his lap time during Imola qualifying, a decision he deemed "totally unfair." The Haas driver was set to start from the back of the grid after his final lap in Q1 was disallowed due to a red flag incident.

Bearman's fastest lap came at the very end of the first qualifying session. However, as he crossed the finish line, a crash involving Franco Colapinto brought out the red flags, leading to the cancellation of his effort.

Why it matters: Bearman was adamant that the red flag was not displayed at the exact moment he completed his lap, stating, "Watching the outboard video, it was clear there was no red flag displayed when I crossed the line, so I believe it's totally unfair to have it [the lap] deleted." This decision relegated him to the last starting position.

He also voiced his disappointment with the stewards' process, questioning the lengthy deliberation time and their perceived unwillingness to reconsider decisions.

"I don't know what took them 10 minutes to understand," Bearman commented. "It's a clear-cut case, in my opinion."

Reflecting on the moment his lap was invalidated, Bearman felt resigned to the outcome: "I was quite sure that the second my lap was deleted, there was no way I was coming back."

The FIA later provided clarification, explaining that a 3.3-second window existed between the red flags being shown and Bearman crossing the finish line, which they used to justify the lap deletion.