Oscar Piastri fears that the FIA will find ‘no easy solution’ for the high closing speeds under the new regulations. The difference in speed between Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto partly caused the former to slam into the barriers with a 50G impact during the Japanese GP. The governing body announced after the race at Suzuka that it wanted to discuss regulatory changes, but according to Piastri, that is not very useful: ‘This is simply inherent to these power units’.
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Oliver Bearman’s heavy 50G crash at Suzuka seems to have woken up the FIA. The governing body issued a statement shortly after the Japanese Grand Prix. In it, the FIA said it would enter into discussions with drivers and teams, among others, about possible regulatory changes. Although the FIA is not taking concrete steps immediately, Oscar Piastri fears that these will also be very difficult to take.
NOW ONLINE: 40 pages Race Special Japanese GP: our online magazine with news, reactions, analysis and interview!
The Australian doubts whether much can be done about the high closing speeds under the new F1 regulations. It was partly due to the difference in speed between Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman that the latter ended up in the barriers. “We’ve been talking about that possibility since these cars were designed,” Piastri told the media present in Japan. “That’s just how it is with these power units. There’s no easy way to get around that.”
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‘Unfortunately, this will likely continue to happen’
The McLaren driver fears that it will likely be up to the drivers to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future. “I think there’s clearly a learning point for us as drivers. The place where the incident happened is not a place where you expect someone to come from so far back and have such a large speed difference. And as we learn that, unfortunately, these kinds of things will probably continue to happen, which is a shame.”
Still, Piastri has a little hope for change from the FIA, among others. “But, you know, I think as a sport we understand that there are many things we need to adjust. Many things we need to change. Especially in terms of safety. There are a number of things that need to be investigated quite quickly.”
NOW ONLINE: 40 pages Race Special Japanese GP: our online magazine with news, reactions, analysis and interview!
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