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How a "massive war zone" on track helped produce an unprecedented F1 stat
Oliver Bearman completed a late overtake on his Haas teammate to ensure he scored the final point in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Nico Hulkenberg had trouble and confusion when emerging from the debris of Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez's crash. He went through what he branded a "war zone".
Hulkenberg's woes meant Bearman achieved an unprecedented stat in the history of Formula 1. The Brit became the first driver to score points in his first two races for two different F1 teams. The 19-year-old featured as a substitute in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, and Bearman scored six points. He also managed to grab a point in Azerbaijan, when replacing the banned Kevin Magnussen.
How Bearman managed to achieve the feat
Bearman had to make way for his teammate earlier in the race. The crash between Perez and Sainz elevated him to P11, but he still had to overtake his teammate before the VSC was applied. Hulkenberg explained what went wrong for him.
"The incident was a massive crash, a massive war zone, debris everywhere. I was surprised. It was double yellow, and then it was back to green, which confused me, and I got caught off guard there and lost positions. Very surreal last two laps, unfortunately, where we came out on the wrong side of it. I hit something quite big and substantial. I wasn't sure where my front wing was. I had a quite big hit on the front, very confusing," Hulkenberg told GPblog and others in Baku.
Unless an unforeseen circumstance happens, Bearman will not return to Formula 1 for the rest of the season. Haas confirmed that news to GPblog on Friday, moments after team boss Ayao Komatsu seemed to suggest it was a possibility. But Bearman has already secured a full-time drive for Haas next season. He will partner up with Esteban Ocon, who makes the move from Alpine.
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