Oliver Bearman has been injured. © APA/afp / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Serious crash: This is the condition of Haas driver Bearman

It was a wild scene at the Suzuka Grand Prix (JPN). Oliver Bearman's car crashed into the barriers at full speed, and the driver was visibly shaken afterwards. How is the Haas driver doing?

March 29, 2026

From: cst/dpa

Formula One driver Oliver Bearman suffered a severe knee contusion in his heavy crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Haas driver lost control of his car on lap 22 and crashed sideways into the barrier at high speed. He then left the scene limping and with a pained expression.

X-rays taken at the circuit's medical center showed no fractures or serious injuries to Bearman. Measurements revealed that the 20-year-old Briton was subjected to extreme acceleration forces during the crash. "That was frightening," said Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu about the accident. "Luckily, everything turned out alright," Bearman himself confirmed.

Bearman was still in the race: The Haas driver crashed badly. © ANSA / FRANCK ROBICHON

The incident fueled the debate surrounding the new technical regulations, in which the additional power generated by the increased electric motor plays a significant role. Bearman, with a considerable speed advantage, closed the gap to Franco Colapinto in the Alpine ahead of him. "It's really strange. It's a corner we're taking flat out, and he was more than 50 kilometers per hour faster than me," explained Colapinto.

World governing body reacts: Rule changes possible in April

Bearman then noticed the Argentinian twitch, tried to swerve, went off the track, and spun. Immediately, a discussion broke out again in the paddock about necessary rule adjustments to limit the risks of the new regulations.

The FIA, the governing body of motorsport, issued a statement two hours after the race: "Any adjustments, particularly in the area of ​​energy management, require careful simulations and detailed analyses." A series of meetings involving all Formula 1 stakeholders had already been planned for April since the introduction of the regulations to assess potential changes. Due to the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the next World Championship race is not scheduled until May 3rd in Miami.