Bearman reacts to 50G crash during Japanese Grand Prix

Ollie Bearman has reflected on his high-speed crash during the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Haas driver involved in a 50G collision into the barriers.

The 20-year-old suffered the accident approaching the mid-point of Sunday's 53-lap race at the Suzuka Circuit, having taken to the grass on the entry to the Spoon Curve after taking avoiding action because of a big closing speed to Franco Colapinto's Alpine in front.

Having hit the barrier on the outside of the corner, Bearman was able to extract himself from the car but was seen limping and being helped by marshals before being transferred to the circuit's Medical Centre where he was given the all-clear.

"Everything is good, I'm absolutely fine," said Bearman, who had been progressing through the field after starting P18. "[It] was a really scary moment that happened out there but everything is okay, which is the main thing.

"The car is a bit worse for wear but we have a month now to reset and come back. I can only apologise from the bottom of my heart to the team for that because it's a lot of work for them."

When asked if it was just bruising he had sustained in the crash, Bearman replied: "Everything is fine. Adrenaline wearing off, it's going to be a long trip home but I'm absolutely fine.

"The important thing is that everyone is in really high spirits. We have a month now to reset everything and come back stronger in Miami. That will definitely be the goal."

The incident occurred when Bearman had to take avoiding action after closing on Colapinto at speed, with the Argentine driver moving towards the middle of the track and narrowing the space. The stewards noted the incident before deeming no further action was necessary, but Bearman gave his take on how it had all played out.

"It was a massive overspeed, 50kph which is a part of these news regulations that I guess we have to get used to," he said. "But also I felt like I wasn't really given much space given the huge excess speed that I was carrying.

"It's something that we talked about on Friday with the other drivers and the stewards that we need to be a bit more lenient, a bit more prepared because of these huge deltas in speed.

"I think as a group we warned the FIA what can happen and this has been a really unfortunate result of a massive delta speed we've not seen before in F1 until these new regulations."

FIA issue statement following Bearman's crash

After the conclusion of the Grand Prix in Suzuka, the FIA issued the statement below regarding Bearman's collision.

An FIA spokesperson said: “Following the accident involving Oliver Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix 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.”