Oliver Bearman called for urgent changes in Formula 1 after a frightening accident during the Japanese GP. The Haas driver pointed out that the new power unit rules are creating dangerous speed differences between the cars.
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Bearman was involved in a heavy crash while trying to avoid Franco Colapinto at Suzuka. According to Bearman, the Alpine driver’s defensive maneuver was ‘unacceptable’ under the current conditions, highlighting that the new rules can create differences of up to 50 km/h between the cars.
The twenty-year-old explained that the situation happened when he was approaching quickly, and the opponent changed trajectory: “It’s not about leaving the door open, but he saw me coming and moved,” Bearman said on the Up To Speed podcast. “Last year that would have been acceptable, but this year he saw me too late.”
Bearman detailed that the speed difference made it impossible to avoid the incident safely: “I came with such a big speed difference that at that moment it was too late for him to move. I saw he looked in the mirror and went to the left, which was not good,” said the Brit, who with his move to avoid hitting Colapinto, went off the track and crashed hard into the barrier.
The accident intensified discussions between the FIA, teams, and Formula 1 about possible rule adjustments. The concern is related to situations where one driver uses energy while another is recharging the battery or already without electric power, creating significant speed differences.
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The talks were already planned during the unexpected break in April, caused by the postponement of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs, but safety concerns took priority. Bearman confirmed that possible solutions are being analyzed before the Miami GP: “I think there are some adjustments we can make with the FIA, and we have been working very well together to avoid these big speed differences,” he said.
On April 9, the FIA held a virtual meeting with the F1 organization and team representatives, and new meetings took place on the 15th and 16th, with six solutions being considered. Among them are changes to the super clipping limits and power delivery profiles, with a final vote scheduled for April 20.
Bearman highlighted that the new rules have completely changed the race dynamics compared to 2025: “Last year, we pushed to the limit, changing at the last second. Now we are in a new era where we don’t exactly know where the limits are,” he added.
Despite the concerns, the British driver showed confidence in quick improvements: “In theory, we shouldn’t see these differences for the rest of the season. I hope we can improve,” he concluded. If approved, the changes could be implemented as early as the Miami GP, scheduled for May 3.
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