Two drivers get penalized for the Monaco GP. [Credits: X/ Formula 1]

Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman Get Penalty for Monaco GP!

Stroll and Bearman will start Monaco GP with grid penalty.

Two drivers get penalized for the Monaco GP. [Credits: X/ Formula 1]

The F1 weekend’s free practice sessions came to an end on Friday. The last free practice session will be held on Saturday, before qualifying. The FP sessions were a different story in Monaco compared to rest of the year. Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver in the practice sessions.

This time the McLarens were unable to dominate the timesheets like their previous weekends. The better speeds might prove beneficial for Scuderia Ferrari. Team Ferrari is still hunting for their first win. However, some drivers are going to start their Monaco GP with a fresh penalty. In a race entirely dominated by grid positions, they are going to suffer heavily.

Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman Face Grid Drop on Sunday

Lance Stroll was involved in a heavy crash with Charles Leclerc in FP1. He took away Leclerc’s front wing which didn’t really disturb his timings. The stewards took their decision after reviewing the footage of the crash later.

Their verdict was completely in favor of Charles Leclerc. Lance Stroll had moved away for Leclerc as the Ferrari was on a flying lap behind lap. However, Stroll suddenly decided to come back on the racing line and caused a massive crash with the Monegasque driver.

🚨 Lance Stroll has been handed a one-place grid penalty for a collision with Charles Leclerc at Turn 6 during FP1 in Monaco. pic.twitter.com/XcCh73t2xL
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 23, 2025

The situation was as tense for the rookie driver from Haas. Oliver Bearman was on a flying lap behind Carlos Sainz during the FP2 session. This time another red flag was caused due to Oscar Piastri’s contact with the wall. Instead of immediately slowing down, Bearman decided to overtake Sainz. Ollie claimed that this was the safer method and he would have brought more danger by slowing down in abrupt fashion.

BREAKING: Ollie Bearman receives a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking under red flag conditions in FP2#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/dJ6yhXuDij
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 23, 2025

The stewards, completely disregarding his claims, gave him a 10-place-grid drop to give him a considerable penalty. He was not supposed to invent new procedures on track but follow what was set in the rules.

How Will the Penalties Affect These Drivers?

The stewards’ rationale for this over the top grid penalty for Bearman is questionable. However, it has ruined his race nonetheless. Based on previous races, Bearman does not have the speed to make it into the top-10 in Q3 easily. He will definitely start the race from back of the pack. We should not expect any miracles in a track like Monaco where overtaking is almost impossible.

Things aren’t as grim for Lance Stroll. Although, Stroll was involved in a much serious incident. A one place grid drop won’t do him much damage unless he is fighting for podium. The Aston Martin is yet to fight for points consistently so Stroll can make up for his penalty in the race.

Aston Martin F1

Formula 1

Formula 1 2025 Season

Haas F1

Lance Stroll

Monaco

Monaco Grand Prix

Oliver Bearman

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.