Oliver Bearman could barely hide his frustration at Silverstone, delivering a raw and self-critical verdict on what he called a “silly, dumb error” that turned one of his best Haas qualifying efforts into a major setback for his home Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Instead of celebrating a place in the top ten on the grid, Bearman faces the challenge of starting down in 18th after a 10-place grid penalty, leaving the British rookie to grapple with a whirlwind of disappointment and regret on what should have been a weekend to remember.
“I’m still angry at myself and very sad, but I’m glad at least that we could show the good thing today was that we have a quick car in qualifying trim, which hasn’t been the case more recently. So I’m really proud of the team for bringing in a successful upgrade,” Bearman said after British GP Qualifying.
“If we have a car that’s P8 in qualifying, it means we have a very quick race car, because normally our quali car is not quite as fast as our race car. So hopefully that stays, and we can have a good one tomorrow.”
For Bearman, Saturday at Silverstone was a day of conflicting emotions—pride in the progress made by Haas but anger at the moment of misjudgment that undid so much good work.
“It’s not a relief,” Bearman admitted when asked if reaching Q3 softened the blow of the penalty. “We were doing a very slow lap under the red flag, and then going into the pit entry with very cold tyres and brakes I didn’t really account for that.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
“So yeah just a silly, dumb error, because when I hit the brakes they were stone cold, and so were the tyres, and I lost it. So silly, and really kicking myself. I wish I could go back and change it, but we can’t, so let’s learn from it and hopefully we’ll have a good race.”
Haas Rookie Determined to Learn and Fight Back
The penalty, Bearman’s second for a red flag infringement this season, leaves him with a tall order for Sunday’s race. The 20-year-old took full responsibility, insisting the blame lay entirely with him.
“It was my fault and a very silly error this morning. Just a misjudgement from my side, really,” Bearman added. “It sucks quite honestly, it’s horrible, but I can only blame myself for that.
“On the other hand I’m really glad that we had a good qualifying, and first of all to validate the team’s hard work, because we’ve had the upgrade this weekend and we were in Q3 on merit.”
Bearman’s misfortune came just as the Haas camp was starting to believe in a turnaround. The car felt the best it has all season, and Bearman outpaced teammate Esteban Ocon, showing the team’s recent upgrades are delivering on their promise.
“Our qualifying pace has not been fantastic recently, and now to be in Q3 on merit is a good feeling,” Bearman stated. “I only did one new set of tyres in Q2 as well, which normally only the top teams do. We actually had a very, very strong qualifying and the car was feeling great, the best it’s ever felt for me.”
The FIA handed down a harsh punishment, not only moving Bearman ten spots back on the grid but also adding four more penalty points to his Super Licence. He now has eight points—just four away from a race ban Despite the setback, Bearman is determined not to let his mistake overshadow a breakthrough weekend for the team.
“If we have a car that’s P8 in qualifying, it means we have a very quick race car, because normally our quali car is not quite as fast as our race car,” Bearman said.
“So hopefully that stays, and we can have a good one tomorrow. I know I’m going to start from last tomorrow, but I’ll see what I can do.”
