FIA and Formula 1 teams agree rule changes after Oliver Bearman crash
The FIA and Formula 1 teams have agreed to amend energy management regulations following Oliver Bearman’s high-speed crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The governing body pledged to review the rules after the 20-year-old suffered a massive 50G impact with the barriers.
The Haas driver swerved to avoid Franco Colapinto’s slower-moving car in the centre of the track.
Despite needing assistance from track marshals to leave his vehicle, the British driver was subsequently cleared of serious injury.
He is expected to return to the grid for next month’s Miami Grand Prix.
Addressing dangerous closing speeds
Reflecting on the terrifying incident, the young racer described it as a “really scary moment” caused by an unprecedented speed differential.
“It was a really unfortunate result of a massive delta speed we’ve not seen before in F1 until these new regulations.”
Oliver Bearman
The governing body formally acknowledged that high closing speeds were a major contributing factor to the accident.
Initial statements confirmed that upcoming regulations feature adjustable parameters specifically targeting energy deployment.
Future technical meetings planned
A summit between motorsport executives, technical experts, and power unit manufacturers took place on Thursday to discuss potential refinements.
Participants acknowledged that while recent events have provided exciting racing, tweaks are necessary to ensure driver safety.
“There was constructive dialogue on difficult topics, especially when considering the competitive nature of the stakeholders.”
FIA Statement
Further collaborative discussions are scheduled over the coming fortnight to finalise the regulatory adjustments.
A dedicated sporting regulations meeting will convene on 15 April to facilitate the required technical changes.
This will be followed by another technical session the next day, culminating in a high-level stakeholder meeting on 20 April.
