Bearman accident, Wolff: “At Le Mans 30-40 km/h difference in the Porsche corners between the Hypercars and the GT3s”

Strong words from the Mercedes team principal Yesterday the FIA ​​anticipated the regulatory changes that will be ratified and made official at the World Council. The new features will be introduced starting from the Miami GP – with the exception of those linked to the start because they require testing – and in the race dynamics we have intervened with the aim of trying to reduce the possibility of other episodes occurring such as the one which saw Oliver Bearman go off the track in Japan to avoid Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff wanted to emphasize the fact that what happened to Bearman is nevertheless inevitable in a motorsport competition that is by nature dangerous: “We must consider Bearman’s accident for what it was, it was a wrong assessment of the situation, it’s like pressing the boost button and not braking in a corner where you should have done so,” Wolff said as reported by planetf1.com. “Although we have to ensure the safety of the drivers, and this must be the highest priority and importance, in the world there are many fantastic races that we drivers love and which exist even if they are dangerous – added Wolff – I love Le Mans, I spend the night watching the timing screen and the Hypercars take the Porsche corners at 30 or 40 kilometers per hour more than the GT3 cars. The speed differences are enormous. We have seen critical situations and serious accidents between these two different classes. I remember staying up all night when Mike Rockenfeller collided with the GT car during the night, due to a misjudgment. I remember an accident a year or two ago at the Porsche corners due to a misjudgment by one of the drivers. Yet Le Mans exists despite all this and of course we still love it. We look at the Nordschleife, and obviously we had a tragic event, but one of the fascinating aspects of the Nordschleife is that a factory GT3 car races against a Volkswagen Polo. private with amateur drivers, at night, in the rain, on crests where you don’t know what to expect on the other side. And even the best Formula 1 drivers in our world love this sport with all the dangers it brings. If you look at the WEC in Imola this weekend, the differences in lap times between the prototypes and the GT cars were more than 10 seconds it’s about understanding what those systems do to the car, how we can reduce the risks in particular situations like in case of rain or whatever, but always reminding ourselves that we are the custodians of the sport, that we have a responsibility towards the sport and the opportunity it has given us all, rather than looking at the personal advantage or disadvantage resulting from whether certain regulations are changed or not.”