F1 driver at risk of race ban – with Ollie Bearman ready to deputise again
British teenager Bearman impressed when he made his F1 debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia in March and could have the chance to race again soon
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kevin Magnussen is on the cusp of a race ban after several controversial incidents throughout the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
Haas driver Magnussen was hit with five penalty points by the stewards over the weekend, taking his total tally to 10.
Drivers are hit with a one-race suspension if they accrue 12 points over a 12-month period and, worryingly for the Dane, all 10 of Magnussen’s points have been earned in the first six races of the 2024 season.
It means Magnussen cannot afford to be in any more hot water with the stewards until 9 March next year, a period which sees the remaining 18 races of this season take place.
British 18-year-old Ollie Bearman, who impressed when he made his debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia two months ago, would be the likely replacement for Magnussen should he be banned, given his role as a Haas reserve.
Bearman and Magnussen could be team-mates at Haas next year, given Nico Hulkenberg’s 2025 move to Sauber (soon to be Audi) and the Brit is the frontrunner to fill the second seat at the American-owned team.
Drivers receive two or three penalty points for incidents where they are predominantly or wholly at fault. Magnussen picked up three points in the Miami sprint race on Saturday for repeatedly leaving the track while hustling for position with Lewis Hamilton, which aided team-mate Nico Hulkenberg ahead.
The 31-year-old admitted afterwards: “All the penalties were deserved, no doubt a bout it. But I had to play the [team] game again.
“I started using these stupid tactics which I don’t like doing but at the end of the day I did my job as a team player and Nico scored his points because I got that gap for him so Lewis and Tsunoda couldn’t catch him.
“Not the way I like to go racing at all, but it was what I had to do.”
Magnussen was then found “wholly to blame” for the collision with Logan Sargeant in Sunday’s grand prix, which brought out the safety car and handed the advantage to Lando Norris, who secured his first F1 win.
The Dane received two more penalty points in addition to a 10-second time penalty during the race.
“It wasn’t a good day, again,” Magnussen said on Sunday. “Hopefully I can get some clarity on things going forward. What happened today, of course it’s not good, but nonetheless we try to move on and have a better weekend next weekend.”
No driver has received a race ban, due to the penalty points system, since it was introduced in 2014.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments