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FIA Warns Against Rushing 2026 F1 Rule Changes After Oliver Bearman’s 50G Crash
TL;DR
FIA director Nikolas Tombazis cautions against hastily implementing changes to the 2026 F1 regulations following Oliver Bearman's 50G crash, emphasizing the need for thorough analysis to avoid worsening safety issues. Discussions are ongoing among the FIA, F1 teams, and manufacturers regarding potential regulatory adjustments sparked by safety concerns.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has warned against rushing changes to the 2026 regulations, fearing that it could “make things worse.” Discussions have been taking place between the FIA, F1 teams, and power unit manufacturers regarding potential changes to the regulations after Oliver Bearman’s 50G crash during the Japanese Grand Prix sparked safety concerns.
MotorBiscuit reported recently that the FIA was discussing potential changes to the 2026 regulations after drivers raised concerns over speed differences between cars deploying electric power and those harvesting energy through lift-and-coast or superclipping, especially when running closely behind another car.
This is something that happened between Bearman and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, with the former chasing the latter. To avoid a collision, Bearman swerved his Haas F1 car, crashing through the speed markers on the grass before spinning out and crashing into the barriers. He suffered a minor injury, but the incident highlighted that the outcome could have been much worse.
The FIA and F1 are exploring ways to improve safety, and Tombazis has suggested that it will take time before a change is implemented, given the different aspects that will need to be analyzed to ensure it does not have a potentially dangerous side effect. Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, he said:
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“Every accident at high speed is always a little bit of a shock. To say it was expected would be wrong but the closing speeds had been identified as a risk. There have been talks about it but there was not easily the ability to act on it before we had a bit of time to analyse a few of the parameters.
“When we’ve introduced changes in a much more hurried way, the risk is that we make things worse or we cause all sorts of other issues, so that’s why we need to have a bit of time to analyse. Clearly safety is the number one priority.”
What Kind of Change Will the 2026 F1 Cars Undergo?
Tombazis added that the nature of changes to the 2026 cars could have more to do with software than hardware. He said:
“These rules are what we collectively refer to as energy management rules that won’t require changes to hardware but may require some settings to change and some software.
“Changes that are fundamentally possible to introduce very soon and go to the core of addressing closing speeds or driver satisfaction.”
Q&A
What caused Oliver Bearman's 50G crash during the Japanese Grand Prix?
Oliver Bearman's crash was caused by a collision avoidance maneuver while chasing Franco Colapinto, leading him to lose control and crash into barriers.
Why is the FIA considering changes to the 2026 F1 regulations?
The FIA is considering changes due to safety concerns raised after Bearman's crash, particularly regarding speed differences between cars using electric power and those harvesting energy.
What are the potential consequences of rushing the 2026 F1 rule changes?
Rushing the changes could lead to unintended safety issues, as highlighted by Tombazis, who stresses the importance of careful analysis before implementing any new regulations.
