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Franco Colapinto has rejected suggestions he was responsible for the heavy accident that eliminated Oliver Bearman during the Japanese Grand Prix, insisting the incident was the result of an extreme speed differential rather than any change in his driving.
Bearman crashed into the barriers at Spoon Curve on lap 21 after jinking left to avoid Colapinto. The Haas driver had been deploying energy in an overtaking attempt, while Colapinto was harvesting battery power. The closing speed between the two cars was approximately 45kph (29.7mph). Bearman escaped without major injury, sustaining only bruising confirmed by an X-ray at the medical centre.
Reflecting on the incident, Colapinto said he had driven the corner as he had on previous laps and was surprised by the magnitude of the speed gap.
“It was really strange, the speed difference was so big it was almost like I was on an out-lap, it was really odd,” he told media.
“It is a corner that we are doing flat, and he was 50kph quicker than me, so it is very strange.”
Colapinto described the section as particularly tricky due to its high-speed, flowing nature.
“I think it gets sketchy when the straights are not straight, and it is turning, and as I looked in the mirrors, he was spinning on the grass and even overtook me, so imagine the speed difference.”
He stressed that he had not altered his line or made any sudden movements.
“I never moved or anything like that, so I think the speed difference, the marbles [contributed], but the biggest thing is that one car was doing 50kph more, and that is when it becomes dangerous.”
The crash reignited concerns about large speed deltas between cars. Post-race, Carlos Sainz criticised the FIA for overlooking drivers’ warnings about the risks posed by significant closing speeds. The governing body later issued a statement on the matter.
Colapinto drew parallels with a previous incident.
“It is the same thing which happened in Melbourne, just that was in the race start, and I had to avoid someone doing 100kph less, but it is the things happening with these cars, and we just need to understand how to make it a bit less of a problem.”
He suggested the deployment of energy played a decisive role in the Japanese incident.
“I never used the boost in that straight corner, but I think Ollie was using it because he looked really strong and came like 45kph quicker than on his previous lap, and that is a really big difference.”
For Colapinto, the core issue was not positioning or intent, but the sheer velocity difference between two cars operating under different energy strategies — a factor he believes can quickly turn a routine racing situation into something far more dangerous.
Il est ingénieur logiciel et passionné de Formule 1 et de sport automobile. Il a cofondé Formula Live Pulse afin de rendre les données télémétriques en direct et les informations sur les courses accessibles, visuelles et faciles à suivre.
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the crash was horrific