Carlos Sainz hopes that the FIA will give more weight to the drivers’ opinions following Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka. After the accident, the governing body announced its intention to hold talks with drivers and teams, among others, about potential regulation changes, but according to the chairman of the drivers’ union GPDA, it is precisely a problem if the FIA only listens to the teams: ‘They will think the racing is fine because they might enjoy watching it on TV’.
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Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash at Suzuka has caused quite a stir among all the drivers. Immediately after the race, Carlos Sainz lashed out at the FIA for repeatedly ignoring drivers’ concerns about the massive speed differences created by the new hybrid engines for 2026. The Spaniard hopes that the FIA and rights holder FOM will implement changes before the Miami GP.
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“We already warned them that this would happen,” Sainz told Sky Sports F1. “These kinds of closing speeds and these kinds of accidents were inevitable. I am not very happy with what we have seen so far. Hopefully, we find a better solution that prevents these massive closing speeds, and a safer way to race.”
The Spaniard especially hopes that the FIA intervenes before Formula 1 travels to the street circuits. “Here we were lucky there was a run-off area. Now imagine driving in Baku, Singapore, or Las Vegas and hitting the walls at such high speeds,” said the co-chairman of the drivers’ union, GPDA. “We, as the GPDA, have warned the FIA that these types of accidents will occur frequently with these regulations. We need to change something quickly if we want to prevent them from happening.”
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‘Drivers have no power’
The FIA announced it would hold talks in April with drivers and teams, among others, about potential regulation adjustments. Whether the drivers can actually effect changes remains to be seen. According to Lewis Hamilton, the drivers “have no power. We are not on the commission. Because of this, we cannot vote on it either,” he told the media in Japan.
According to Sainz, that is where the crux lies. “That is a problem if you only listen to the teams. They will think the racing is fine because they might enjoy watching it on TV,” said the Spaniard. “But from a driver’s point of view, when you are racing each other and you realize there can be a speed difference of 50 km/h, then that is not actually racing. Anyway, I really hope the FIA listens to us. That they will focus on the feedback we have given them, instead of only listening to the teams.”
NOW ONLINE: 40-page Japanese GP Race Special: our online magazine with news, reactions, analysis, and interviews!
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