Oliver Bearman has owned up to potentially impacting Max Verstappen’s race in Spain after the Red Bull driver tried to lap the Haas before his George Russell controversy
Oliver Bearman has apologised to Max Verstappen if he interfered with his race during last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver finished tenth after a time penalty, but originally came home in fifth.
For a period he was looking to break the McLaren 1-2 stranglehold and went after Lando Norris with the pair having to negotiate back markers as they lapped those further down the field. Bearman was among them, but he was also involved in a tussle with Liam Lawson.
The respective battles occurred at the same corner and Lawson found enough space to go down the inside of Bearman at Turn 1, with the Haas driver taking to the run-off and following the route back onto the circuit.
Norris was first on the scene as he looked to slalom his way through the two cars. He quickly got past Lawson, but had to wait until Turn 5 before he got past Bearman. Verstappen also dived through down the inside, but felt he’d been hampered and waved a hand in anger at the rookie.
He was asked about Verstappen seeming frustration as Bearman replied: “Yeah, I’m not sure why. I need to have a look. But, I am sorry if I did anything bad to him. It’s tough to manage everything that’s going on in the race, and he just went on my inside. I wasn’t trying to do anything bad, of course, but I’m sorry if I held him up.”
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Verstappen himself would apologise the day after the race after being involved in a highly controversial incident with George Russell. He was told to let the Mercedes past as his Red Bull team deemed that he may have kept fourth illegally as the pair tussled.
The Dutchman eased off to allow Russell past, before accelerating into the side of the Brit. He eventually let him past, but his act looked deliberate and it earned him a ten second penalty which tumbled him down the order.
In the aftermath of the incident Verstappen asked “does it matter” whether he deliberately drove in to Russell – with the Mercedes driver admitting the fiery world champion has those moments in him, which detract from his brilliance.
Once the dust had settled the Red Bull driver came out and said on social media: “We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out. Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.
“I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you [at the next race] in Montreal.”