The FIA ​​will review the Formula 1 regulations in April after the Ollie Bearman accident

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has announced that at its meetings in April it will review the Formula 1 regulations after the serious accident suffered by British driver Ollie Bearman (Haas) this Sunday during the Japanese Grand Prix.

“Following Oliver Bearman’s accident at the Japanese Grand Prix and the influence of high speed on it, the FIA ​​wishes to clarify the following: since its introduction, the 2026 regulations have been the subject of constant discussions between the FIA, the teams, the engine manufacturers, the drivers and the FOM. This regulation includes, by design, a series of adjustable parameters, especially regarding energy management, which allow optimization based on real data,” the body said in a statement.

On lap 22 of the race held at the Suzuka Circuit, Bearman, who was trying to overtake the Alpine of Argentine Franco Colapinto in the Spoon curve, was forced to make a sudden maneuver to avoid colliding with him, and ended up crashing into one of the walls of the track in a 50 G impact. The Briton was able to leave the car on his own feet, although limping.

The new regulations introduced in the 2026 season allow drivers to choose when to recharge and deploy power. They can recharge their batteries by braking, and once that’s done, they can release that power at will to increase their top speed, for example to overtake cars in front of them.

The drivers have already warned of the differences in the maximum speed between the cars caused by the use of the ‘boost’ and have asked the FIA ​​and F1 on several occasions to review the regulations, as the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Williams) did this Sunday. “We have been warning the FIA ​​and the FOM that it was a matter of time before an accident like this happened. I hope that Formula 1 reconsiders and the teams do not get too confrontational, because it is clear that this regulation has loopholes and problems that must be solved before going to Miami and other types of circuits,” he said in statements to DAZN.

Now, the FIA ​​takes note of the requests after what happened in Japan, and will take advantage of the postponement of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix, due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, to hold meetings in the month of April. “All interested parties have maintained the position that a structured review would be carried out after the initial phase of the season, to collect and analyze sufficient data. Therefore, several meetings have been scheduled in April to evaluate the operation of the new regulations and determine if adjustments are necessary,” stressed the federative body.

“Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis. The FIA ​​will continue to work closely and constructively with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport, and safety will always remain a fundamental element of the FIA’s mission. At this stage, any speculation about the nature of possible changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course,” he concluded.