Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman is breaking his silence after suffering a knee contusion from a gnarly crash in Japan.
“Happy to report that everything is ok,” Bearman said in a Sunday, March 29, Instagram video. “Really sorry to the team for what happened. It was a bit of a freak accident with such a huge closing speed. So we need to go back and understand everything.”
He continued, “Now we have a month off to come back. I’m going to use this time to rest up and feel better before the next race in Miami. Thank you so much for your support, it means the world.”
Bearman, 20, crashed about midway through his race in Suzuka, Japan, on Saturday. After moving to the left of the track in an attempt to pass the driver in front of him, the British racer lost control of his car, sending him into the grass before smashing into the barrier of the track.
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According to his racing team, Bearman was traveling 191 miles per hour at the time of the crash.
The safety car was deployed onto the track after the accident.
Bearman climbed out of the wreckage on his own power, limping heavily as he made his way off the track.
He escaped with no major injury, but according to his team’s spokesperson Bearman suffered a right knee contusion from the impact.
“[Bearman] just had a huge closing speed against [Franco] Colapinto (the driver in front of Bearman), so he had to take avoiding action,” said Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu to Sky Sports. “He went on the grass and crashed. [It was] scary.”
The accident has reignited discussions of a potential rule change following the 2026 F1 season, regarding the difference in closing speeds between new F1 cars this year.
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Each car’s speed can vary greatly, depending on whether or not the car’s engine is harvesting energy (slowing down the vehicle) or using electric energy (speeding up the car).
In the case of Saturday’s accident, it appeared Colapinto’s car was harvesting energy while Bearman’s was picking up speed by using electric energy.
The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) released a statement after the accident, saying that the organization will meet in April to “assess the operation of the new regulations and determine whether any refinements are required.”
“Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis,” the statement read. “The FIA will continue to work in close and constructive collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport and safety will always remain a core element of the FIA’s mission.”
