Bearman ruled out of Madrid qualifying after Haas crash leaves him starting from the back – Haas Formula 1 driver Oliver Bearman was unable to take part in qualifying for the Madrid Grand Prix after his FP3 crash left the team without enough time to repair his damaged VF-26. The 21-year-old escaped injury but will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
Bearman crashed just one minute before the end of Saturday’s final practice session at the new Madring circuit, losing control of his Haas between Turns 10 and 11 before hitting the barriers sideways.
The incident brought out concern on the Haas pit wall, with the team immediately asking whether its young driver was okay.
“I’m sorry, guys!” Bearman replied over the radio.
After being asked again whether he was uninjured, the Briton eventually confirmed that he was fine. Haas initially remained hopeful that its mechanics could repair the car before qualifying, with the team telling Bearman: “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it for qualifying.”
However, the damage proved too extensive for the mechanics to complete the work within the two-hour window.
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Bearman unable to take part in qualifying
Haas subsequently confirmed shortly before qualifying that Bearman would not be able to participate.
The team later confirmed on X that Bearman had escaped the crash without injury. The immediate concern therefore shifted entirely to whether the damaged VF-26 could be returned to running condition in time.
With that deadline missed, Bearman will have no qualifying time and is set to start Sunday’s Madrid Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
The crash is a particularly frustrating outcome for the Haas driver, who had been given one final opportunity to prepare for the first Formula 1 race at Madrid’s new circuit before the crucial qualifying session.
Hamilton also crashes during FP3
Bearman was not the only major Formula 1 driver to encounter trouble during the final practice session.
Lewis Hamilton also crashed after locking up under braking, sending his Ferrari into the barriers.
Unlike Bearman, Hamilton initially attempted to continue after the impact and bring his damaged SF-26 back to the pits. However, Ferrari quickly identified the extent of the damage.
Hamilton’s front wing had been destroyed, one of the front tyres was damaged and debris was obstructing one of the wheels. Ferrari’s race engineer therefore instructed him to stop the car.
“The car is running,” Hamilton initially responded.
After repeated requests from the Ferrari pit wall, however, the seven-time world champion eventually brought the damaged car to a halt.
Ferrari repairs Hamilton’s car in time
Ferrari was able to repair Hamilton’s car before qualifying, allowing him to take part in the session despite the FP3 accident.
The recovery proved significant, with Hamilton qualifying fourth for the Madrid Grand Prix.
That result represents a stark contrast to Bearman’s situation. While both drivers suffered crashes during FP3, Ferrari’s mechanics were able to return Hamilton’s car to the track in time for qualifying, whereas Haas could not complete the necessary repairs to Bearman’s VF-26.
Bearman will consequently face a difficult recovery drive on Sunday, beginning the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix from the back of the field.
For Haas, the priority now will be to ensure the car is fully repaired and ready for the race, while Bearman will attempt to recover as many positions as possible from his compromised starting position.
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