Oliver Bearman has launched a scathing attack on Franco Colapinto following their collision at the Japanese Grand Prix, calling the Williams driver’s defensive move “unacceptable” after it caused a violent 50G crash at Suzuka’s Spoon Curve. The Haas driver was forced to swerve to avoid the slower Argentine, sending his car sliding backwards into the tire barriers in a dramatic incident that highlighted growing safety concerns over Formula 1’s new technical regulations.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Bearman revealed the massive speed differential between the two cars was approximately 50 kilometers per hour due to Colapinto’s energy harvesting, creating a dangerous situation that the current regulations have made more common. “Franco moved across in front of me to defend his position. Last year would have been absolutely on the limit but probably OK with just a 5 or 10 kph speed delta. But with 50 kph, he did not leave me enough space and I had to avoid a much bigger crash,” the British driver explained.
The 19-year-old Bearman expressed particular frustration that drivers had specifically discussed this issue during Friday’s drivers’ meeting, making Colapinto’s actions even more disappointing. “We said between all the drivers, come on, we need to give each other a bit more respect. Yeah, move to defend your position with a bit more time because the speed deltas are much higher than we’ve ever had in our sport and then two days later that happens which for me was unacceptable,” he stated emphatically.
Bearman acknowledged that while the speed difference played a role in the incident, he placed primary responsibility on Colapinto for moving too late after spotting the approaching Haas in his mirrors. The crash has intensified debates about F1’s new 50-50 hybrid power units and their impact on racing safety, with drivers still learning the limits of the updated regulations that have created unprecedented speed differentials during races.