The scare over Oliver Bearman’s accidentwho limped out afterwards the impact at 308 km/h against the barriers at Spoon in Suzuka (but fortunately without damage and with only a strong bruise to the right knee) they the security issue was rekindled linked to the new Formula 1 regulations.
At the end of the race Carlos Sainz was among the toughest on the merits: the Spaniard explained how the pilots have warned FIA and FOM several times on the topic and how it was “only a matter of time” before having a major accidenthoping for interventions before the next GP in Miami (3 May, ed).
The FIA press release
The response from the Federation was not long in coming and it decided to issue an official statement a few hours before the end of the race to explain his position and how he intends to move on the matter: “Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been subject of continuous discussions between the FIA, the teams, the power unit manufacturers, the drivers and the FOM. By their very nature, these regulations include a number of adjustable parameters, particularly in relation to energy management, which allow optimization based on real data.
All interested parties agreed on the need for a structured review after the initial phase of the seasonin order to collect and analyze sufficient data. Several meetings are therefore planned for April to evaluate the functioning of the new regulations and determine whether any improvements are necessary.
Any potential modificationin particular those relating to energy management, requires careful simulation and detailed analysis. The FIA will continue to work in close and constructive collaboration with all interested parties to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport and safety will always remain a central element of the FIA’s mission. At this stage, any speculation about the nature of potential changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
Does it really change?
In the press release the FIA reiterated a position already established after the first two races, namely the willingness to sit around a table during the long forced break in April to evaluate the pros and cons of the new rulesespecially regarding electrical power and energy management.
Equally clear is how the Federation wanted to underline that is not solely responsible for these regulationsbut the pool that worked on it and still works on it is much larger and includes teams, engineers and FOM. It would therefore be a It’s a mistake to point the finger only at Tombazis and his staffalso for what we saw at Suzuka with Bearman. We’ll see if this episode – and the words of Sainz and Verstappen – will shake things up from here to Miami…
