Comment: Ollie Bearman’s 191mph crash is a tipping point – F1 must tweak 2026 regulations
In more ways than one, it was a game-changer. The incident that flipped Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix on its head, to the delight of the race winner and the despair of his Mercedes teammate George Russell, means we have a new championship leader in 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli. Yet the long-term connotations, for the 22 drivers and for Formula 1’s new era, will be of greater significance.
Ollie Bearman’s thunderous crash on lap 22 at Suzuka was, to put it in simplistic F1 colloquialisms, a “big one.” An impact with the tyre barrier measured at 50G – similar to Max Verstappen’s 2021 shunt at Silverstone – saw the 20-year-old limp away from his cockpit with the assistance of trackside marshals. When his car skated off track, his Haas VF-26 was doing an enormous 191mph.
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Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 11:29
In a set of quotes provided by Haas, Bearman has revealed he is “fine” after his crash.
“First of all, everything is fine and I’m good,” said Bearman. “It was a scary moment out there but everything is okay, which is the main thing.
“The adrenaline is wearing off a bit so it’s going to be a long trip home, but I’m absolutely fine.
“The car is a bit worse for wear. I can only apologise to the team because it’s a lot of work.
“There was a massive overspeed – around 50kph – which is a part of these new regulations and we have to get used to it, but also I felt like I wasn’t given much space, given the huge excess speed I was carrying.
“We need to be a bit more lenient and a bit more prepared, as unfortunately this was the result of a massive delta speed which we’ve not seen in Formula One before.”
Oliver Bearman suffered a ‘scary’ crash in Japan (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) (AP)
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 13:30
Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu reacts:
Asked if his British driver had a lucky escape, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said: “Yes. It could have been a lot worse. I am just glad he did not break anything.
“We have been talking about closing speeds, and this accident has now happened so we cannot ignore it. Safety should always be top of the list.”
(Getty)
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 12:46
RACE REPORT: Russell rues bad luck as Antonelli claims second F1 win at Japanese GP
The Italian teenager, who landed his debut win in China a fortnight ago, took the chequered flag 13.7 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc kept Russell at bay to finish third.
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 11:00
“Following the accident involving Oliver Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix and the contribution of high closing speeds in the accident, the FIA would like to provide the following clarifications.
“Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the FIA, Teams, Power Unit Manufacturers, Drivers and FOM. By design, these regulations include a number of adjustable parameters, particularly in relation to energy management, which allow for optimisation based on real-world data.
“It has been the consistent position of all stakeholders that a structured review would take place after the opening phase of the season, to allow for sufficient data to be gathered and analysed. A number of meetings are therefore scheduled in April to assess the operation of the new regulations and to determine whether any refinements are required.
“Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis. The FIA will continue to work in close and constructive collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport and safety will always remain a core element of the FIA’s mission. At this stage, any speculation regarding the nature of potential changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 10:25
Fernando Alonso, speaking before the Japanese GP:
”Overtaking these days is accidental,” Alonso said about the new regulations
“Suddenly you find yourself with a higher battery than the car in front and you either crash into them or you overtake them.
“It’s an evasive manoeuvre, not an overtake.”
Fernando Alonso (Getty)
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 10:03
Max Verstappen, after finishing P8:
Any improvement? “I don’t think it was very good, yesterday was a disaster, today I just maximised my race. The car…. just trying to hang to it in the race.
On meeting with F1: “We’ll do some more racing, some stuff that makes me smile, speak to the team and try and find more pace, a more stable balance, but this is not sustainable for us as a team We need to bring improvements.
“You can have a bad balance, that doesn’t take away from how we have to race, I’ve commented on that a few times, a lot of drivers are speaking out on it.
“That is the biggest one. I would like to win, but i can accept P7. It’s the way I’m driving with the systems and everything, is not a lot of fun.”
Max Verstappen (AP)
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 09:25
Carlos Sainz on Bearman’s crash:
Some very interesting comments from Carlos Sainz on Bearman’s crash and the regulations:
“I’m excited to see what FOM [Formula One Management] and FIA come up with for the new regulations, hope they come back better for Miami.
“With the accident with Ollie, we’ve been warning them with these closing speeds that this was going to happen. Hopefully, we come up with a better solution with these massive closing speeds and a better way of racing.”
“I was so surprised when they said we will sort out qualifying and leave racing alone because it’s exciting.
“We’ve been very vocal, we’ve been warning that this kind of accident was going to happen. Here, we’re lucky there was an escape road – imagine Baku or Vegas. We’ve warned the FIA that these accidents will happen a lot with these regulations, 50G is higher than my crash in Russia in 2016, 46G.
“I hope it serves as one example, if they listen to teams and drivers… the racing is clearly not OK.”
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 08:53
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 08:25
Bearman has now left the medical centre and has been cleared.
He is back in the motorhome, albeit limping a bit.
Kieran Jackson29 March 2026 08:13