F1 News: Ollie Bearman 'Ready' to Replace Kevin Magnussen if Race Ban Is Enforced

Kevin Magnussen's near race ban ignites discussions on F1 penalty points, as reserve driver Ollie Bearman stands ready to replace him if enforced.

Kevin Magnussen / Haas Press Image

As Kevin Magnussen inches closer to a potential race ban with 10 penalty points, Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Ollie Bearman has expressed readiness to take his place.

The Formula 1 penalty points system, designed to improve driver conduct, might soon see Haas driver Kevin Magnussen facing a race suspension. With a tally of 10 penalty points, the Danish driver is dangerously close to the 12-point threshold which necessitates an automatic race ban.

His accumulated penalty points, picked up during instances related to tactical driving in support of teammate Nico Hulkenberg, among others, have stirred debate. During the press conference at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Magnussen noted his precarious situation. He commented, as quoted by GP Blog:

"The next time is a race ban. These situations where I've had to play the support role for my teammate have been paying off. So it's been kind of valuable to us. I don't love the way the rules are. I think there's stuff to be looked at there. And for myself, I'm on 10 points, so I have to be careful not to get a race ban.

"The fact that I'm at risk of a race ban for driving outside of some white lines on a piece of tarmac...I don't know if I feel that that is right, but it is the way the rules are.

"There are more races now than there were back when they were introduced it, and I feel you can end up getting a race ban effectively for a very minor thing."

Amid these challenges, the silver lining for Haas could be Ollie Bearman, the young driver waiting in the wings as Magnussen's potential replacement. Bearman, who serves as a reserve for both Ferrari and Haas, commented on the situation to the media in Imola, as quoted by Crash.net:

“I'm going to be in Canada as a reserve for Ferrari but I'm also a reserve for Haas when I'm a reserve for Ferrari, so of course I'm ready. I showed in Saudi [Arabia] that I'm ready so if I get the call I'll happily jump in.

“Of course it's never the way you want to do a race if something like that happens but if it is the case, if it does happen then I'll happily oblige.”