Ollie Bearman ‘fine’ after lucky escape in dramatic Japanese Grand Prix crash
By Philip Duncan, Press Association F1 Correspondent, Suzuka
British driver Ollie Bearman had a “lucky escape” after his “scary” 191mph crash in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix which puts the safety of Formula One’s new rules in the spotlight.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his second win in as many races to usurp George Russell in the championship standings after he took advantage of a safety car period following Bearman’s harrowing accident on the 22nd lap in Suzuka.
Bearman was fighting for 16th position with Argentine driver Franco Colapinto when he deployed his boost button, a new introduction this season, to overtake at Spoon Curve.
Here’s the moment Bearman went into the barriers at Spoon #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/XmurXApWkp
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 29, 2026
However, Bearman misjudged the 31mph closing speed to the back of Colapinto’s Alpine and took evasive action on to the grass.
From there, he was sent out of control as he crashed through a polystyrene distance board before slamming into the barriers. The force of the impact registered at an extraordinary 50G.
The 20-year-old, in just his second season in Formula One, emerged from his destroyed car limping and unable to put any weight on his right leg.
He was helped away from his Haas by two marshals before he slumped to the grass by the side of the circuit. Bearman was taken away in a medical car for X-rays. He suffered a knee contusion but escaped a significant injury.
“First of all, everything is fine and I’m good,” said Bearman. “It was a scary moment out there but everything is okay, which is the main thing.
“The adrenaline is wearing off a bit so it’s going to be a long trip home, but I’m absolutely fine.
"Happy to report that everything is ok" ð#HaasF1 #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/DJXAphbOxF
— TGR Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) March 29, 2026
“The car is a bit worse for wear. I can only apologise to the team because it’s a lot of work.
“There was a massive overspeed – around 50kph – which is a part of these new regulations and we have to get used to it, but also I felt like I wasn’t given much space, given the huge excess speed I was carrying. We need to be a bit more lenient and a bit more prepared, as unfortunately this was the result of a massive delta speed which we’ve not seen in Formula One before.”
Asked if his British driver had a lucky escape, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said: “Yes. It could have been a lot worse. I am just glad he did not break anything.
“We have been talking about closing speeds, and this accident has now happened so we cannot ignore it. Safety should always be top of the list.”
Speaking after the opening round in Australia, world champion Lando Norris feared a car could fly over the fence due to the difference in closing speeds when a driver attacks a rival who is slowing down to regenerate their battery.
Although Colapinto was not recharging at the time of accident there was a 200KW disparity in electrical power between the two cars – a repercussion of the new regulations.
An animated Carlos Sainz said: “We’ve been warning that this kind of accident was always going to happen. Here we were lucky that there was an escape road. Now imagine going to Baku, Singapore or Las Vegas and having these kind of closing speeds, and crashes next to the walls.
“I hope it serves as an example and the teams listen to the drivers because the racing is not okay.”
The FIA confirmed that possible amendments to the rules will be looked at before the next round in Miami on May 3.
An FIA statement read: “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.”
