Victim of a violent accident in Japan, Oliver Bearman points the finger at Franco Colapinto’s defense. An incident that reignites the debate on the dangers of the new rules.
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The Japanese Grand Prix was marked by a spectacular crash involving Oliver Bearman. While trying to overtake Franco Colapinto’s Alpine at Suzuka, the Haas driver violently hit the barriers at the exit of the Spoon corner.
The impact, estimated at 50G, immediately ended his race. Fortunately, despite the severity of the crash, medical examinations revealed no fractures. Bearman nevertheless had to be assisted to leave his car, proof of the brutality of the accident.
This episode quickly drew attention, notably due to the very large speed difference between the two cars at the time of the incident.
A maneuver deemed “unacceptable”
After the race, Bearman did not mince his words. According to him, the defensive maneuver by Colapinto is directly responsible for the crash.
“He moved in front of me to defend. Last year, with a speed difference of 5 or 10 km/h, it would have been borderline but acceptable. But with 50 km/h, he didn’t leave me enough space” he explains.
The British driver emphasizes that, under these extreme conditions, the slightest movement becomes critical. “At this speed, even a small shift is huge”, he adds, believing he avoided an even more serious accident.
For him, this episode perfectly illustrates the dangers posed by the unprecedented speed differences generated by the new regulations.
An agreement between drivers… not respected
Beyond the incident itself (which we analyzed here in images), Bearman is particularly annoyed by the context. A few days earlier, the drivers had met to discuss these issues and had agreed on the need to be more cautious.
“We talked about it on Friday. We said that we needed to respect each other more and defend earlier, because the speed differences are much higher than before” he recalls.
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Hence his frustration: “Two days later, this happens. For me, it’s unacceptable.” A clear message addressed to his colleagues, called to adapt their behavior to this new reality.
Shared responsibilities?
On the Haas side, the tone is more nuanced. The team principal, Ayao Komatsu, refuses to directly blame Colapinto.
According to him, the incident is primarily a consequence of the new rules and energy management, which create unusual speed differences.
“It’s not really a fault. You could call it a small misjudgment, but it’s mainly the closing speed that is frightening” he explains.
The same view comes from the FIA, which took no sanction after reviewing the incident. The body considers that these situations are inherent to the current cars.
A renewed debate on safety in F1
This accident highlights an issue already raised since the start of the season: the impact of the new rules on track safety.
With speed differences reaching up to 50 km/h in the heat of battle, duels become much riskier. A reality that drivers, teams, and the FIA will need to quickly regulate to avoid further major incidents.
Despite everything, Bearman is reassuring about his health and has already confirmed his intention to participate in the Miami Grand Prix. But one thing is certain: this episode could leave marks… and accelerate discussions around possible regulatory adjustments.
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