Topics: Motorsport, Formula 1, Haas F1 Team
A Formula One driver is already facing a potential race ban before the 2026 season even starts.
With the 2025 Formula One season now in the past, anticipation for the upcoming 2026 campaign has already started to build.
The 2026 season will officially get underway in just 10 weeks time as the Australian Grand Prix takes place on the weekend beginning March 6 at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.
Two new drivers are set to return to F1 next season as both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will join an expanded 22 driver grid from 2026.
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But there is one driver who could be forced to sit out one of the first races of the season as he is facing a ban before the 2026 race calendar even begins.
Ahead of his return to F1, it has widely been reported that Bottas will be made to take a five-place penalty for his first race back in 2026 due to a collision with Kevin Magnussen during his final race for Sauber in the 2024 season.
But there's actually another current driver that could face a penalty shortly after the 2026 season starts due to his disciplinary record this year.
Haas youngster Ollie Bearman had a fantastic rookie F1 season, scoring 41 points, three more than veteran teammate Esteban Ocon, and finishing 13th in the Drivers' standings.
However, throughout the season he also picked up a total of 10 penalty points, meaning that he is only two points away from a race ban heading into the 2026 season.
Formula One drivers are handed penalty points when they are deemed to have breached rules during a race, with the number of points given decided depending on the severity of the rule break.
If a driver accumulates 12 penalty points within a 12 month period, then they will be handed a one-race ban to be served at the next race.
In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this year, Bearman received a five-second time penalty for changing direction more than once whilst defending, picking up a penalty point along the way.
He was one of three drivers to be given points during the final race of the season, with Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll also penalised in Abu Dhabi.
The next points to expire for Bearman will not come until May 23, 2026, meaning the British youngster will have to be on his best behaviour at the start of the season to ensure he does not receive an early ban.
