Kevin Magnussen has been hit with a race ban for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after picking up two penalty points in Monza, taking his cumulative 12-month tally to 12.

The Haas driver crashed with Pierre Gasly after an ambitious move down the inside at the Della Roggia chicane, bumping wheels with the Alpine driver and sending him onto the run-off area.

The stewards acted accordingly and slapped the Haas driver with a 10-second time penalty. Magnussen went on to seal a P10 finish in spit of the reprimand, but after the race, it was confirmed that two penalty points were also awarded.

To combat consistently dangerous driving, FIA regulations stipulate that a racer can only accumulate a maximum of 11 penalty points over any given 12-month period. If a total of 12 points is met, a race ban is handed out.

This is a nightmare for Magnussen, who will become the first-ever driver to suffer the embarrassment of a race ban under these regulations. Even more concerning for the Dane is that he entered the 2024 campaign with a clean slate of zero penalty points.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu must now decide who will replace the 31-year-old in Baku. Ordinarily, the official reserve driver would step in, although, for the North Carolina-based outfit, the question isn’t so simple.

Pietro Fittipaldi is the official reserve, but the Azerbaijan GP clashes with the IndyCar season finale in Nashville. With the Brazilian fighting for his future at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he is unlikely to miss the final race of the year.

For these reasons, Oliver Bearman is the logical replacement for Magnussen in Baku. The Brit will be on-site thanks to his Formula Two duties and has already stepped in for Ferrari this season, replacing Carlos Sainz in Jeddah.

Furthermore, the 19-year-old has signed on as a full-time Haas driver for 2025 and beyond. A one-off appearance before the end of the campaign would set Bearman up well for his rookie campaign next year.