Bearman explains ‘small mistake’ behind his day-ending crash in Australia

Ollie Bearman’s full-season Haas debut ended prematurely as his heavy crash in FP1 prevented him from taking any further part on Friday.

Pre-season testing was completed without a single red flag due to a crash or car reliability problem, but this changed on Friday in Australia, as Bearman lost the rear of his Haas at the high-speed Turn 10 before making heavy contact with the wall.

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The car remained on stands in the garage throughout FP2, although Bearman did climb into the cockpit in the closing minutes as the Haas mechanics rushed in the hope that a single installation lap could be completed before the chequered flag dropped. Despite the team's efforts however, the Briton was unable to venture out.

Explaining his crash after FP2, Bearman said: “The guys did a great job to try to get the car back out but we just ran out of time. I just had a small mistake at Turn 10, which put me a bit wide and out there it’s very bumpy and I, unfortunately, lost the car.”

As a result of the contact, the right of Bearman’s Haas sustained significant damage, with both the front and rear wheels being primarily held to the chassis by the tethers.

Repair work was further complicated by the need to change both the gearbox and power unit, with both sustaining damage. It is currently unclear which components, if any, will be returned to the pool for use later in the season.

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Asked if the lost track time would continue to hurt him across the weekend, Bearman added: “It’s not over. I struggled a little bit, but I really felt confident in the car – maybe too much. I really felt at home and nice in the car. It was building up really nicely, and the mistake was unfortunate.

“It’s by no means over. FP3 is a long session and then into qualifying.”

With warmer temperatures predicted for Qualifying, but rain forecast for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, Bearman had one eye on the possibility of a chaotic race, saying: “The race will be a bit of a roll of the dice it looks like at the moment.”