Oliver Bearman experienced a tense moment that ended in a retirement at the Formula 1 Japanese GP, but reassured everyone by stating he is fine after the heavy crash. The driver highlighted that it was a big scare, but reinforced that his main concern was his own physical condition, confirming he suffered no serious consequences.
Read more F1: Hülkenberg says points in Japan were compromised by ‘poor start’
In Formula 1, a GP retirement represents a heavy blow for any team, especially when there is significant damage to the car. Bearman recognized the impact of the incident and apologized to the team, highlighting that there will be plenty of work ahead before the next round.
“First of all, I’m okay. It was a scary moment, but everything is fine, which is the main thing. The adrenaline is wearing off a bit now, so it will be a long trip home, but I’m absolutely fine,” said the Briton. He also commented on the state of the car after the accident, indicating that the damage was considerable.
He regretted what happened and recognized the effort that will be needed to repair the equipment: “The car is a bit worse for wear, but now we have a month to reorganize. I can only apologize to the team because it’s a lot of work,” said Bearman, showing concern for the impact on Haas.
Read more F1: Alpine scores with Gasly after heavy pressure from Verstappen
According to the driver, the accident was influenced by a large speed difference, something he attributed to the new regulations. Bearman explained that there was a significant overspeed at the time of the accident, which made the situation difficult: “There was a huge overspeed, about 50 km/h, something that is part of these new rules, and we need to get used to it,” he said.
The young driver also stated that he felt a lack of space during the episode, which contributed to the outcome: “I felt like I wasn’t given much space, considering the huge speed I was carrying. We need to be a bit more tolerant and be more prepared, because unfortunately this was the result of a large speed difference that we haven’t seen before in Formula 1,” he added.
Despite the scare and the retirement from the race, Bearman showed confidence in a quick recovery after the break until the next race, highlighting that this one-month period without races will be important to reorganize the work and come back stronger: “We have a month to reorganize and come back strong in Miami, that’s the goal now,” Bearman concluded, already looking ahead to the next opportunity to react in the season.
Read more Antonelli celebrates second F1 victory: «Best way to enter the break»
