Oliver Bearman described the Japan crash as a “scary moment,” while Carlos Sainz urged the FIA to review safety measures amid concerns over “dangerous” closing speeds.

SUZUKA (Japan), March 30 — Oliver Bearman described his high-speed crash at yesterday’s Japanese Grand Prix as a “scary moment,” with the incident prompting renewed calls for the sport’s governing body to review safety measures under its new regulations.

Bearman’s car struck the barriers with an impact of 50G at Spoon, according to his team, Haas F1 Team, after closing in on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine F1 Team at a speed differential of around 50kph.

While attempting to avoid contact, Bearman swerved left, ran onto the grass and through a marker board, losing control at 308kph before hitting the barriers, which triggered the safety car at a crucial stage of the race.

“I’m absolutely fine”

“I’m absolutely fine,” said Bearman, who was seen limping away from the wreck but escaped without fractures, suffering only a contusion to his right knee.

“It was a scary moment out there, but everything is okay, which is the main thing.”

Formula One introduced major technical changes this season, with hybrid power units now split roughly 50-50 between electric and combustion energy.

The shift has added a new layer of energy management, with teams balancing deployment and regeneration of electrical power during races. However, differing strategies have created significant speed variations between cars at different points on track.

Haas F1 Team principal Ayao Komatsu said Bearman, aware he had a pace advantage over Colapinto in that section, attempted an overtake and activated extra power via the boost system, but misjudged the resulting closing speed.

Sainz warns of safety risks

Carlos Sainz, director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said drivers had repeatedly warned regulators about the risks.

“We’ve been warning them that this could happen — these kinds of closing speeds and accidents were always going to occur,” he said. “I’m not happy with what we’ve seen so far.”

He urged Formula One to find solutions that reduce extreme speed differences, warning that street circuits such as Baku, Singapore or Las Vegas could be especially dangerous in similar scenarios.

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team team principal Toto Wolff also said the issue must be investigated.

“The regulations are still at a very early stage, and the FIA and teams will analyse the incident carefully to understand how to prevent it,” he said.

FIA response

The FIA said the new regulations will be reviewed in upcoming meetings scheduled for April, with any potential changes to be assessed based on those discussions.

It added that it was too early to speculate on specific rule changes, stressing that safety remains a core priority.

McLaren F1 Team team principal Andrea Stella said safety improvements should be a key focus of the review process.

“We have a responsibility to ensure the right actions are taken, especially when it comes to safety,” he said. — Reuters