Ollie Bearman doesn’t back down from Yuki Tsunoda criticism with “same assessment”
“That’s the bit that’s worrying, I would say, and the fact that you broke super early as well. That’s where it becomes dangerous.”
Ollie Bearman hasn’t changed his view on Yuki Tsunoda’s aggressive driving at the United States Grand Prix, insisting it was “dangerous.”
Bearman heavily criticised Tsunoda following their battle at the Circuit of the Americas.
Bearman attempted to overtake Tsunoda on the inside of Turn 15 in Austin.
Tsunoda covered the move, forcing Bearman to cut the corner, run onto the grass, and spin as a result.
This nearly caused a huge crash between the pair, with Bearman narrowly avoiding Tsunoda’s car.
Tsunoda ultimately finished seventh, while Bearman dropped behind Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg after the spin.
Bearman described Tsunoda’s driving as “unfair.” He also suggested that Tsunoda was trying too hard to impress amid his uncertain F1 future.
When asked for his view nearly one week later, Bearman said he still had the “same assessment.”
“Yeah, I mean, I still have the same assessment,” Bearman said. “Of course, when I finished the race, I was not happy.
“Of course, there was adrenaline and stuff, but the corner is one that you can do these kind of dangerous moves without it being that obvious, because of the nature of the corner.
“So, a lot of people don’t see what I saw and what we saw, but no, I keep the same view.”
Bearman was mostly unhappy with Tsunoda moving under braking—something agreed among drivers to be not allowed.
“I mean, this corner where the track is turning left anyway, you just say, well, I’m taking the apex,” Bearman added.
“But if you look at every other lap, that’s not how it looks, you know, so it’s one of those things.
“That’s the bit that’s worrying, I would say, and the fact that you broke super early as well. That’s where it becomes dangerous.”
Bearman on looming race ban
Bearman remains within touching distance of a one-race ban.
The British driver is currently on 10 points, so two more would result in a one-race suspension.
Bearman isn’t too concerned given the reasons why he has eight of those points.
“It’s been a tough few races on that side of things, but it hasn’t necessarily meant that the results haven’t been there,” he explained.
“So it’s not a big issue, but I’m looking forward to have that target off my back, hopefully. I never thought my approach on track was stiff. I have 10 points and eight of those, four I definitely deserved in Silverstone, but that’s not a racing thing, that’s just a stupidity thing.
“And then I got another four in Monaco, which is also one that can be argued either way, in my opinion. It’s not like I’ve been taking people out.”
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