- Bearman suffered a high-speed crash at Spoon Curve during the race.
- Haas confirmed Bearman avoided fractures despite massive 50-G impact.
- Antonelli secured victory to become the youngest ever F1 championship leader.
Oliver Bearman suffered a horrifying crash at the Japanese Grand Prix as he was trying to close the gap to Franco Colapinto at high speed.
As he lost control of the car, it led him to be shunted into the barriers at Spoon Curve. This led to the deployment of the safety car, which came to an end on Lap 27, allowing the on-track battle to begin again.
The Briton delivered impressive performances in the last two Grand Prixs, which landed him in 5th position in the driver’s standings. With Bearman out and only Esteban Ocon’s Haas on the grid, the team was able to secure just 1 point in the latest race.
The Japanese Grand Prix began on an interesting note as Turn 1 itself saw the alteration of the initial grid sequence, as Oscar Piastri stole the lead from Kimi Antonelli, who later managed to get it back. The race ended with Antonelli, Piastri, and Charles Leclerc on the podium. It was a big day for Antonelli as scoring a win allowed him to become the youngest championship leader, snatching the lead from George Russell.
Haas shares an update on Bearman’s condition
Following the high-speed crash, Bearman, out of his Haas, appeared to be hurt in one leg, as he struggled to walk. He was helped by the marshals around to give him balance as he limped and went on to sit down at the side of the track. He was then taken to the circuit’s medical centre to get his condition assessed. This specific incident also raised concerns around the driver’s safety under new regs.
The team released a statement to disclose the results of the medical assessment. It read, “50G impact – has had X-ray at Medical Centre. No fractures – right knee contusion following the impact.” Earlier, team principal Ayao Komatsu explained the events leading up to the incident. He revealed that Bearman had a “huge closing speed” against the car ahead, and to prevent a potential collision, he went into the grass and crashed abruptly. He called the incident ” scary.”
Bearman’s incident rings alarm across the paddock
Carlos Sainz, the appointed director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, shared his take on Bearman’s crash. He initially reflected on how drivers were focused on sorting out their energy management on the initial laps, while several big moments were also taking place on the track at the same time.
Sharing details on how the engine works without boost button usage, he explained, “Even without using the boost button, sometimes your engine gives you a lot more speed than the guy in front, depending on where the other is on the energy. It was only a matter of time; the first big crash was going to happen.”
In another interview, Sainz revealed that they had warned the F1 and the FIA about the high chances of such incidents happening. He hopes that they come up with the best solution to solve the problem of preventing excessive closing speeds and find a way to race safely.
