The FIA has issued a statement following Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash during the Japanese GP. Carlos Sainz, among others, said after the race that drivers had already warned about such accidents under the new regulations before the season started. The FIA says it wants to talk to drivers and teams, among others, about possible regulation changes during the spring break, although it also immediately warns against premature speculation about any adjustments to the rules.
A scary moment during the Japanese GP: Oliver Bearman slamming into the barrier at the Spoon curve with an impact of 50G. The Haas driver was surprised by his higher speed relative to Franco Colapinto during an overtaking attempt on the Argentine driver. The Alpine driver was charging his battery at that moment, while Bearman was using his for extra speed. As a result, the Brit had to swerve to the left, ended up on the grass, and subsequently spun into the barriers.
“With such high speeds when approaching other drivers, it was inevitable that such an accident would happen, and I am not very happy with how it has gone so far,” Carlos Sainz told the media present in Japan, expressing his dissatisfaction with the FIA’s actions. “We already warned that such an accident was inevitable, and we were lucky there was a run-off area. Now imagine going to Baku, Singapore, or Las Vegas and hitting the walls at such high speeds.”
FIA issues statement
The FIA has now issued an official statement following Bearman’s crash. “Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been a subject of ongoing discussions between the FIA, teams, engine suppliers, drivers, and FOM,” it reads. “However, the regulations contain a few adjustable parameters, especially regarding energy management. This allows for optimization based on race data.”
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“All stakeholders have always taken the position that a structured evaluation would take place after the opening phase of the season. This allowed for sufficient data to be collected and analyzed,” the statement continues. “Therefore, a number of meetings are scheduled for April to assess the functioning of the new rules and to determine if adjustments are necessary. Any adjustments, particularly in the area of energy management, require careful simulations and detailed analyses. The FIA will continue to work closely and constructively with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport, with safety always remaining a core part of the FIA’s mission. At this stage, any speculation about the nature of possible changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
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.#FIA #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/STFLrtkT9x
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— FIA (@fia) March 29, 2026
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