Source:REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
[Saba Sports News] At the Japanese Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman lost control of his car while avoiding Franco Colapinto and crashed into the barrier with an impact of 50G. After the incident, Bearman limped out of his car and was immediately taken to the medical center. Fortunately, he sustained no fractures.
Regarding the cause of the accident, it is widely believed that the new 2026 F1 regulations have significantly widened the speed difference between cars deploying full power and those in energy recovery mode during overtaking. The FIA later issued a statement acknowledging that the “extremely high closing speeds” of the 2026 cars were one of the contributing factors to Bearman’s crash.
In response, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that under the current rules, accidents like Bearman’s are inevitable. He estimated that the speed difference between different cars on the straights could reach up to 50–60 kilometers per hour, calling the gap extreme. When asked whether drivers need to adjust their driving style to cope with such extreme closing speeds in the 2026 season, Verstappen said doing so would be highly dangerous. Even simple movements such as changing lines in the braking zone or adjusting racing lines can lead to serious crashes due to the massive acceleration difference.
In our opinion, Verstappen’s comments on the Bearman crash are not just a reaction to an isolated incident, but also a fundamental questioning of F1’s technical direction, emphasizing that safety and the core nature of racing must never be compromised.