The incident happened on the run towards Spoon Curve, where Bearman closed rapidly on Franco Colapinto. With a speed difference of around 50kph, the Briton was forced to take avoiding action. He ran onto the grass, lost control, and hit the barriers hard in a speed of 208kph and a 50G impact. Bearman managed to climb out of the car but was left limping, later diagnosed with a bruised knee. Thankfully, no more serious injuries were found.

The crash has once again highlighted concerns about large closing speeds under the new rules, where some cars slow down on straights to harvest energy while others remain at full speed. Speaking after the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted the situation was not unexpected. He explained that teams had already raised this exact scenario during testing, warning that differences in energy deployment could create dangerous moments on track. Stella stressed that Formula 1 should not wait for more incidents before acting, adding that the sport has a clear responsibility to introduce changes, especially when safety is at risk.

Similar concerns were echoed by Carlos Sainz, who has been vocal on behalf of the drivers. He revealed that the issue had already been discussed with the FIA in Suzuka and said drivers had warned that this kind of accident was likely. Sainz pointed out that while Suzuka has run-off areas, the consequences could be far worse on street circuits such as Baku or Singapore, where there is little room for error. He called for a “better solution” to ensure safer racing and made it clear that the problem affects not just qualifying, but races as well.

In response, the FIA confirmed that meetings will take place in April to review the early impact of the 2026 regulations and assess whether changes are needed before the next round in Miami. The governing body also released a full statement:

“Following the accident involving Oliver Bearman at the Japanese GP and the contribution of high closing speeds in the accident, the FIA would like to provide the following clarifications.

Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the FIA, Teams, Power Unit Manufacturers, Drivers and FOM. By design, these regulations include a number of adjustable parameters, particularly in relation to energy management, which allow for optimisation based on real-world data.

It has been the consistent position of all stakeholders that a structured review would take place after the opening phase of the season, to allow for sufficient data to be gathered and analysed. A number of meetings are therefore scheduled in April to assess the operation of the new regulations and to determine whether any refinements are required.

Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis. The FIA will continue to work in close and constructive collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport and safety will always remain a core element of the FIA’s mission. At this stage, any speculation regarding the nature of potential changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”