F1 urged to make immediate changes following frightening crash

F1 and the FIA have been urged to make immediate changes to the new regulations for this season following Oliver Bearman's frightening crash during the recent Japanese Grand Prix.

Bearman was fortunate to escape with nothing worse than a contusion to his right knee following a 50g impact with a barrier at Sukuka after avoiding running into the back of Franco Colapinto in his Alpine.

The incident threw an uncomfortable spotlight on an area of racing that the FIA, in particular, opted to ignore heading into the race in Japan despite repeated warnings from the drivers.

Bearman was caught out by the significant closing-speed difference between himself and Colapinto as they used different energy deployment settings at that moment in the race.

The Haas driver was travelling 50 km/h faster than his rival and felt he was not given adequate room on the inside before skating across the grass and into the barrier at high speed.

Post-race, the F1 drivers highlighted the seriousness of the incident and the dangers posed by the new power units in wheel-to-wheel action.

F1 fans have also had their say in a RacingNews365 poll, and the overwhelming majority have made it clear that the FIA needs to react swiftly before the next race in Miami in early May to avoid a repeat situation.

We asked whether the regulations needed addressing, and 84.29% of you said yes, that Bearman's crash was a sign of things to come.

There were 6.90% who said no, that the drivers would learn to adapt, whilst the remaining 8.81% were unsure, believing the next few races would paint a clearer picture.

One reader, Robosto, was one of those in favour of a rule change. They wrote: "Rules and use of battery needs to change, unless all tracks are constructed wider, which will never be possible.

"The sudden speed difference between cars will lead to accidents, or from start to finish, the cars will follow each other. It is just a daft design, but it takes time for F1 and FIA to find an excuse not to have to show the loss of face."