Oliver Bearman’s health update after horror crash at Japanese GP | F1 | Sport

Oliver Bearman has taken to social media to assure F1 fans “everything is okay” after his terrifying crash at the Japanese GP. The Haas driver tried to overtake Franco Colapinto of Alpine, but span out of control and skidded into the barriers at fast pace.

His accident has brought the drivers’ concerns about the new F1 regulations this year more into focus. With so many cars going at each other at different speeds, Bearman admitted the crash was “scary” while Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the Brit was lucky to escape. The Brit flew off the track at 190mph when he tried to avoid hitting Colapinto, who was driving substantially slower. He had a differential of 50kph as a result of the extra electrical power he deployed, while the Argentine was moving slower due to his depleted energy mode. This difference is a key part of the new and controversial regulations introduced this year. After the crash, Bearman took to social media to assure his fans he is in an okay.

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On his Instagram page, he said: “Happy to report that everything is okay. Really sorry to the team for what happened. It’s been a bit of a freak accident with such a huge closing speed, so we need to go back and understand everything.”

Komatsu was also relieved things were not worse, saying:“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.”

After the accident, Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr hit out at the FIA regulations, stating this was something the drivers envisaged. He said: “We’ve been warning them about this happening. This kind of closing speed and these kind of accidents were always going to happen and I’m not very happy with what we’ve had up until now. Hopefully we come up with a better solution that doesn’t create these massive closing speeds and a safer way of going racing.

“We were lucky there was an escape road. Now imagine going to Baku or Singapore or Vegas and having this kind of closing speed and crashes next to the walls. We’ve warned the FIA [the governing body] these accidents are going to happen a lot with this set of regulations and we need to change something soon if we don’t want them to happen.”

In the wake of the crash, the FIA issued a statement of their own, insisting they will assess the new regulations. It said: “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. 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.”