Carlos Sainz has sharply criticized the FIA for disregarding F1 drivers’ safety concerns following Oliver Bearman’s dramatic crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
On Lap 21 at Suzuka, Bearman experienced a 50G impact when he lost control entering the Spoon curve, caught out by the closing speed against Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Deploying his battery for energy recovery, Bearman had to swerve left and smashed through the brake marker boards before colliding broadside with the wall.
Despite limping from the car with apparent injuries to his right leg and ankle, Bearman was cleared by medical staff after X-rays, though he did sustain bruising to his right knee. The incident has highlighted concerns raised by drivers about the new energy-management regulations, which can create dangerously high closing speeds.
Sainz, who finished 15th and serves as a GPDA director, voiced his frustration with the FIA’s inaction:
“I hope we find a better solution for Miami. The accident we saw today was exactly what we had been warning about,” Sainz told Sky Sports F1.
“With these speeds, an incident like this was always going to happen. I’m not happy with how things have been handled so far. There needs to be a safer way to race without these massive closing speeds.”
Sainz added that drivers’ concerns were largely ignored in favor of excitement in qualifying and races:
“They said, ‘Leave the racing alone because it’s exciting.’ But the problem isn’t just qualifying; it’s the racing itself. We’ve been warning this kind of accident was inevitable, and today we were lucky to have an escape road. Imagine what could happen in Baku, Singapore, or Vegas.”
Comparing the force of Bearman’s crash to his own in 2015, Sainz stressed the urgency of action:
“It was 50G. My crash in Russia in 2015 was 46G. So just imagine what could happen in circuits like Vegas or Baku. I hope this serves as a wake-up call. The FIA needs to listen to drivers, not just teams. Some people say the racing is okay, but it’s not.”
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