(Motorsport-Total.com) – Oliver Bearman can breathe a sigh of relief ahead of the upcoming Formula 1 race in Canada, as the Haas driver will no longer be immediately threatened by a race ban at the Grand Prix. The Briton started the season with ten penalty points, just two points away from a suspension, but on Saturday two of his points will expire.
Read more James Vowles strengthens: Williams recruits top talents from the competition
Bearman had received these nearly a year ago in Monaco for overtaking another car under a red flag. Because four more points were added for another red flag violation in Silverstone, two points for a collision in Monza, one point for dangerous driving in Brazil, and one point for more than one lane change in Abu Dhabi, he started the new season with ten points.
Thus, Bearman could not afford a major offense at the start of the season if he did not want to be a spectator for a race, but the Haas driver has kept clean so far and will drop to “only” eight points on Saturday (see current penalty points overview).
However, the FIA has also given drivers some leeway: no penalty points have been awarded in 2026 yet.
If the FIA maintains its lenient approach, he would not have to worry much even with eight points. And after four more races, the next four points will expire on July 5, so Bearman, who was allowed to step in for the then-suspended Kevin Magnussen in Baku in 2024, would then be definitively out of the danger zone.
Important update from Haas
But penalty points are likely only a minor concern for the youngster. Rather, he is aiming for real points again after two disappointing weekends. Bearman was one of the positive surprises at the start of the season and was even temporarily fifth in the World Championship before the crash in Suzuka and a pointless race in Miami.
Read more Alonso: Formula 1 has lost a decade of good racing due to hybrid
However, Haas knew Miami could be difficult as many teams brought their first major upgrade package there. For the Americans, an improvement to the car is now planned for Canada, with hopes of making another leap towards the front of the midfield.
“The others made a big step in Miami, and hopefully we can take that step too to reconnect for the weekend in Montreal where we actually were,” says Bearman.
Will the duel with Alpine be renewed?
Recently, Alpine in particular made a significant leap forward and is now five points ahead of Haas. “They have really improved their competitiveness,” Bearman admits. “But the goal will be to take on the fight with the others – and of course also with Alpine, if we can.”
“I think they have found their rhythm step by step and showed a good performance in Miami,” he praises the competition. “Realistically, they are currently one step ahead of us, but we still have a lot in the pipeline that should hopefully bring us closer to them.”
“But the fight is really tight now, also with Audi. Even the Racing Bulls were competitive. And Williams scored double points in Miami. The midfield is closing in extremely tight. It is really very, very close, as it always is in the midfield.”
Read more Alpine: Miami form was a «relief» for the entire team