Karun Chandhok accuses ‘bizarre’ F1 driver of making some ‘unforgivable’ mistakes this season

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It’s been a fascinating season of Formula 1 so far, and the Dutch Grand Prix is the first event in an onslaught of action between now and the finale in Abu Dhabi.

The Formula 1 calendar is relentless, and there are only five Sundays between now and the end of the season where all 20 drivers aren’t in action.

Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali has previously suggested that 24 races is the maximum number of events the sport can handle.

That hasn’t stopped Domenicali from suggesting the introduction of more Sprint Races, although whether that would be a popular decision among drivers and teams is yet to be seen.

What the schedule has done is force each driver to maintain an incredible level of focus over a prolonged period of time.

For the rookies on the grid, this is a completely new experience, as they juggle growing demands on and off the track.

Karun Chandhok was watching one particular rookie in action at the Dutch Grand Prix, and while he was impressed with his work at Zandvoort, he admitted that some of the mistakes he had made this season were ‘unforgivable’.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman? Everything to know

Haas driver Oliver Bearman told he’s made some ‘unforgivable’ mistakes during his rookie F1 season

Chandhok was covering FP2 at Zandvoort for Sky Sports F1 when, at one point, Oliver Bearman topped the time sheets in his Haas.

Analysing his first full season on the grid after three cameos last year, Chandhok explained: “Oliver Bearman’s done a great job with that lap there, a 1:11.1. He’s been a bit mercurial this year, hasn’t he, Bearman?

“He’s hit some real highs, but also some bizarre moments where he got penalised for overtaking under the red flag, or yellows twice.

“He’s been a bit up and down, I feel,” and when asked whether these were rookie errors, Chandhok continued: “You know what, when you have a crash, as a rookie you go, yeah, that’s a rookie error.

“Overtaking somebody under the red flag, or the yellow, I think that’s unforgivable in some ways, I know that’s what his team boss thought because he told me so!”

David Croft interrupted and said: “Can I say that I think his Silverstone one was worse?”

Chandhok concluded: “Yeah, I think so. I took my son for his first-ever karting race; he’s six years old. The first thing they tell you at the briefing, when there’s a red flag, you don’t overtake.

“I think there’s no excuse for that.”

READ MORE: All to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari and Toyota ties

Assessing Oliver Bearman’s first full season as a Formula 1 driver at Haas

If you only consider the drivers’ championship standings, it has not been the best season for Bearman.

The 20-year-old has scored eight points this year and only sits above Alpine drivers Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto in the standings.

However, Bearman went on a run of four consecutive races finishing 11th, narrowly missing out on points on each occasion.

Teammate Esteban Ocon currently sits 10th in the championship and is the reason why Haas aren’t bottom of the constructors’ championship at this stage.

However, Ocon has been impressed by Bearman since they started working together, and it feels like a matter of time until he secures a top result.

The errors that Chandhok raised, in particular his crash under the red flags at Silverstone, can’t be ignored.

The British driver reached Q3 that weekend, but a 10-place grid penalty cost him a decent points haul, and while Ferrari consider Bearman their next F1 driver, he needs to cut out these errors before stepping up into a top team.