Nico Rosberg Speaks Out as Oliver Bearman Hit With Controversial Penalty

Former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg has spoken out in defense of Haas rookie Oliver Bearman after the Briton was penalized during the Italian Grand Prix.



Bearman was handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points following a collision with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, a ruling that has pushed him dangerously close to a race ban.



Rising Pressure on Rookie Driver



The incident at Monza left Bearman with 10 penalty points on his super licence.



He must now avoid adding two more over the next four races — in Azerbaijan, Singapore, the United States, and Mexico — or face a one-race suspension.



The collision occurred at the Turn 4/5 chicane, where Sainz attempted an overtake around the outside.



Bearman held his ground on the inside, and the two cars made contact, sending both drivers spinning.



Rosberg Questions Stewards’ Decision



Rosberg believes the penalty was too harsh and that Sainz could have avoided the clash by leaving more room.



“Oliver Berman has half a car’s length in there, half a car’s length! It’s not like he has just a front wing in there or something,” Rosberg told Sky F1.



“That’s a significant amount of car in there. Why doesn’t Carlos Sainz just leave a bit of space? Give me a reason.



“He’s [Bearman] in there, so leave some space, and then nothing happens and it’s all good.”



Other Drivers Support Bearman



Rosberg is not alone in his assessment.



British driver Jamie Chadwick also argued that the penalty was unnecessary.



“It shouldn’t have been a 10-second penalty for Oliver Bearman at all, to be honest, because I don’t know where he’s meant to go,” Chadwick said.



She compared the incident to a similar clash between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson at the same corner, saying both situations could have been avoided with more room.



“I think the incident could have been avoided, I think for both of them,” Chadwick added.



“They’re just situations that can be avoided by one driver or another.



They don’t need to have these kind of awkward pinch points.



In that instance, I think Carlos probably could have given a bit more room.”



Debate Over Consistency



The penalty has reignited debate about stewarding consistency in Formula 1.



While some argue that Bearman’s aggressive defense warranted punishment, others insist the clash was a racing incident.



For Bearman, the ruling adds to the pressure of his rookie season, where every mistake is magnified.



If he avoids further penalty points over the coming races, he will reset to a safer position on his super licence.



Until then, every battle on track carries heightened risk for the young Haas driver.
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