The Haas drivers clashed during practice in Monaco, each blaming the other for ruining their flying laps.
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During the session Formula One Management broadcast radio from Oliver Bearman in which he called his team mate an “idiot” after being passed by Esteban Ocon at the final corner, Anthony Noghes.
Ocon, however, had already complained that Bearman had held him up twice within the first 15 minutes of the session.
Bearman led Ocon out of the pits at the start. With the full 22-car field circulating the 3.3-kilometre Monte Carlo circuit, space was tight and drivers frequently had to alter laps because of traffic. Bearman repeatedly aborted attempts at flying laps as he encountered slower cars on the out-lap and at various points around the track.
On one run Bearman closed on a slower car approaching Rascasse and eased off to avoid it, only to be caught by Ocon behind, who had to lift after attempting to pass at Anthony Noghes.
A couple of laps later Bearman again found a car in the chicane by the harbour and was forced to back out of his lap earlier than before because of the obstruction.
Ocon eventually caught Bearman through the Swimming Pool complex and followed him to the end of the lap. His race engineer, Laura Mueller, advised him to “just back up a bit” from his team mate to preserve their laps, but Ocon chose to overtake instead.
As he passed into Anthony Noghes Ocon told the team: “He doesn’t have to fuck my laps twice as well, you know, on the fast [laps].” The engineer acknowledged the remark. Bearman, meanwhile, told his engineer: “What an idiot, man. That was so stupid from Esteban.”
The disagreement did not translate into strong pace: the pair finished the session 16th and 17th, with Bearman just 0.041 seconds quicker than Ocon.
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