After the accident involving Ollie Bearman at the Japanese GP, safety under the new Formula 1 rules has returned to the center of discussions. The collision, caused by a large speed difference between the Haas driver and Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, prompted the FIA (International Automobile Federation) and the eleven teams in the category to meet next Thursday, April 9, to evaluate possible changes to the technical regulations.
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Despite growing concern, sources from GPblog indicate that there is no expectation of immediate changes. Significant changes to the rules are unlikely to be implemented before the 2027 season, and drivers are not expected to be heard at this initial stage.
In an interview with De Telegraaf, Jos Verstappen, father of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, highlighted that teams with more resources tend to resist any modification. “It is also a political game; changes are not always easy to achieve. Toto Wolff and Mercedes will want to keep these regulations for as long as possible,” he stated.
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“They have invested a lot of money and time in this and clearly have an advantage, also in terms of knowledge compared to their own customer teams, for example. That is their right, of course; now they can benefit from it,” he added.
Max Verstappen is being one of the biggest critics of the new regulations. The Red Bull driver even said he might retire at the end of the year, as he does not feel he is experiencing Formula 1 in a competitive way.
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