FIA Issues Statement on 2026 Regulations Following Oliver Bearman's High Speed Suzuka Crash

The Japanese Grand Prix weekend brought with it the biggest crash of the early season, with Haas' Oliver Bearman hitting the wall at 50G's while trying to make a battle with Franco Colapinto for 17th position on lap 22.

Bearman was on his energy boost, and Colapinto was depleted, leading to Bearman's high speed in the crash. When the Haas slid off the track it was at 191 MPH, he hit the barrier on the left side after spinning across the track.

This means that the new energy deployment regulations are at the heart of the biggest incident of the season of date, leading the FIA to release a statement following the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix.

"Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the FIA, Teams, Power Units Manufacturers, Drivers, and FOM," the statement read. "By design, these regulations include a number of adjustable parameters, particularly in relation to energy management, which allow for optimization 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 analyzed. 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."

Bearman limped away from his accident and was lucky not to sustain any worse injuries than a bruised knee.

"It was a scary moment out there, but everything is OK, which is the main thing,” said Bearman, who escaped the massive crash with only bruising. “The adrenaline is wearing off a bit, so it’s going to be a long trip home, but I’m absolutely fine."

Hass' Principal Ayao Komatsu shared Bearman's relief at the relatively small injury. Bearman now has a month to rest up before returning in Round 4 when F1 comes to it's first of three rounds in America for the Miami Grand Prix.

"Yes. It could have been a lot worse," said. "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."

The crash flipped the favor for the two Mercedes leaders, favoring Kimi Antonelli, the pole sitter, who faded early, and hurting George Russell. Antonelli now leads the Driver Championship over his teammate with his second straight victory.

Victoria Beaver is a nomadic sports writer who spends her time hopping between race tracks and hippie farms. She’s covered every corner of motorsports that will let her in from 410 Sprints to NASCAR to Supercross. Her daily driver is a 2010 Subaru that she refused to do the smallest amount of preventative maintenance on. Instead, she spends her free time and money building a 42-foot Skoolie to one day travel the country full time.