Formula 1’s governing body says rule adjustments taking effect at next week’s race in Miami are designed to prevent a repeat of the high‑speed crash that left Oliver Bearman limping and rattled the paddock at Suzuka. The measures target sudden closing speeds created by uneven energy deployment under the current regulations.
Bearman was traveling at around 190 mph (306 kph) when he veered off and hit the barrier at last month’s Japanese Grand Prix while trying to avoid Franco Colapinto’s slower‑moving car. The speed gap between them was about 30 mph (50 kph), magnified by features of the 2026 cars: Bearman was on “boost” for extra electrical power while Colapinto was low on charge.
“We’ve got sometimes cases when one car is deploying too little power because it’s charging up its batteries and another one is trying to overtake and approaching at quite a fast speed. That has been obviously a safety topic and we’ve been discussing how to resolve it,” Nikolas Tombazis, who has overseen the development of the 2026 rules as the FIA’s single‑seater director, said in a video statement Wednesday.
He argued that restricting the impact of the boost mode and cutting the maximum allowed electrical power on “specific parts of the circuits maybe where we have corners or where they’re a bit more twisty” could prevent a repeat. Bearman had been using the boost on a curved section as he approached Colapinto. “So, in that respect, it means that the sort of problem we saw with Ollie Bearman’s crash in Suzuka should basically be avoided from the next race onwards.”
Speaking on the “Up To Speed” podcast last week, Bearman called the large speed differential an “unfortunate result of these regulations” and said the Argentine driver should have left him more space. “I was lucky not to hit him. It would have been much, much worse if I did,” said the British driver.
Tombazis added that the FIA will evaluate the impact of the tweaks over the coming races and seek further changes if necessary. While most mid‑season adjustments require agreement from teams and engine manufacturers, the federation can act unilaterally on urgent safety grounds. “It’s not now job done, we can all go on holiday,” Tombazis said. “We will keep monitoring. We’ll keep reviewing and analyzing and so on. And, if there’s any further interventions needed, of course we won’t hesitate to take them.”
What to watch next: how teams adapt their energy deployment in Miami, especially through corners and complex sections, and whether the changes meaningfully reduce closing‑speed spikes. The FIA’s stance suggests additional updates remain on the table if safety concerns persist.
Source: wthr.com