Franco Colapinto complained about Oliver Bearman’s comments on the accident where both were involved in the Formula 1 Japanese GP. The Haas driver was harsh in his speech during the April break.
Read more F1: Vasseur takes Ferrari’s focus in the fight for evolution
During an interview on the Up to Speed podcast, the Briton criticized the Alpine rival for an ‘unacceptable’ move before Spoon Curve. At this moment, Ollie was approaching at a speed 50 km/h faster and, to avoid the collision, went off track and hit the protective wall with a force of 50G.
In response to the incident, the FIA made specific changes to the regulations that will come into effect from this weekend’s Miami GP. And at the start of the event, the Argentine responded to Bearman’s criticisms, emphasizing that he was relieved to have come out of the crash unscathed.
“I have already spoken about this. The most important thing is that he is okay. After the race, I messaged him immediately, he never replied. He didn’t talk to me, I talked to him. What makes me happiest is that he is okay and nothing bad happened. Of course, it was a big damage for their team, but that’s part of racing,” he said.
Read more F1: FIA plans to define details of the next engine in a few months
Analyzing the accident, Colapinto indicated that responsibility should be shared, although he rejected the idea of having been aggressive in the maneuver. The driver highlighted the difficulties caused by high speeds and the limited vision of those ahead. “I think today we need to better understand how to make racing safer and not take so many risks. Those behind have full awareness of the speed and maneuvers, while those in front become more ‘blind’,” he explained.
He also reinforced his version of the incident, denying any abrupt movement before the curve. “I never moved aggressively at any moment in that situation or that curve, which would have caused the accident,” he said.
Finally, Colapinto again expressed relief about Bearman’s condition but did not hide his dissatisfaction with the criticism received. “I’m happy that he is okay. Of course, I didn’t like his comments, but I hope we can resolve this soon,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Mekies rules out regret over 2025 efforts affecting 2026
