The Haas driver now has 10 penalty points over the last 12 months. If he picks up just two more points before any of his current points expire, he will automatically miss a race.

The incident happened at Turn 4 in Monza on lap 41. Bearman took the inside line while Sainz was on the outside. After reviewing video and in-car footage, the stewards decided that Sainz was ahead at the corner and had the right to the racing line. The stewards said Bearman did not give Sainz enough space, which caused the crash. He was given a 10-second race penalty and two penalty points.

Bearman now has only four races to avoid picking up more points before two of his older points expire in November, after the Mexican Grand Prix. This means he has to be very careful in the next rounds in Azerbaijan, Singapore, the United States, and Mexico. If he gets two points before then, he will face a one-race ban.

After the race, Bearman said he was disappointed because he felt the car had been very quick and they could have scored points. He admitted he needed to review the crash without emotion to understand it properly. Sainz also commented that it was “just a typical Monza incident,” adding that one driver usually has to give way in such close situations.

Bearman stepped in for Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last year, when the Danish driver received a race ban. If Bearman were banned this season, the Haas reserve driver, Ryo Hirakawa, would likely take his place.