Sainz and Bearman lament costly clash that ruined points chances at Monza

Written by Kavi Khandelwal, Edited by Marit Everett

For Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman, a single on-track incident defined a frustrating day that cost both drivers a potential points finish. Their post-race comments highlighted their different reactions to the event, with both believing they had the pace for a good result.

Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman make contact and spin on Lap 41 | Credit: Formula One

Sainz had a particularly difficult day. He explained that as the "last of the medium starters," he knew it would be tough to make a comeback, but his pace was strong. "We actually extended the medium quite a long way and we were doing a good comeback on the hard," he said. He felt his speed was impressive, noting he was "quicker than Bearman in front, quicker than Bortoletto."

However, his efforts were undone by the Turn 4 collision with Bearman. "When I went for a move with Ollie, unfortunately we touched," Sainz explained. The contact caused damage that "pretty much ruined my race." He also revealed that he had to deal with "some battery issues," adding to the difficulties of the day. Sainz admitted that he was "starting to get frustrated, frustrating and yeah, rather depressing."

Oliver Bearman was looking forward to scoring points at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

For Bearman's part, he was confident in his car's performance. He stated that it felt "great" and was "really quick," despite being "very slow in straight line." He was convinced that without the incident, he would have scored points, saying post-race, "I think we would have been in the points today".

When asked about the ten-second penalty he received, Bearman was measured in his response. He acknowledged his own opinion from inside the cockpit, but recognised the need to be objective before making a final judgement. He said he needed to "look back without emotion, basically."

Ultimately, the race was a missed opportunity for both drivers. While Sainz felt he was robbed of a well-earned comeback, Bearman was confident in his car's performance and felt he was on course for a points finish. A single on-track moment ended the race for both of them, leaving them to reflect on what could have been.