Haas driver Ollie Bearman had a big incident at the Japanese GP and brought out the safety car. As the British driver got out of the Haas, he was seen limping away from it and was sent to the medical centre following a high-speed impact.
Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto were battling well outside the Top 10 at the Japanese GP when the British driver crashed out of the race on Lap 23. The Haas star was following the Argentine driver ever so closely when a speed difference startled Bearman.
As Ollie Bearman approached Turn 12 on Lap 23, Franco Colapinto lifted off the throttle and was harvesting the battery, whereas Haas was still deploying. This resulted in a huge speed difference as the two were just about to enter the Spoon.
A slight move from the Alpine driver to defend, along with the speed difference, forced Bearman to correct his steering and resulted in him running onto the grass. The Briton couldn’t control the Haas once on the grass and was sent spinning into the barrier.
Although Ollie Bearman was able to get out of the car, he was seen limping before sitting down behind the tech pro barrier near the crash spot.
Haas came out a few minutes later and confirmed that Ollie Bearman was taken to the medical centre as the collision with the barrier was a 50G impact. The Briton had X-Rays done, as the team reported that Bearman didn’t have any fractures.
Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman’s incident was noted by the FIA Stewards and went into investigation. However, the governing body suggested that no further action was required. The accident was primarily caused by the closing speed due to both drivers being in different battery modes (deployment vs harvesting).
Haas provides an update on Ollie Bearman’s medical condition after the crash
A team spokesperson came out after Ollie Bearman visited the medical centre and confirmed the medical condition of the 20-year-old. Although there were no fractures, there was a right knee contusion, possibly why the Briton was limping after the crash.
“Update on Bearman. 50G impact. Has had an X-ray at the Medical Centre. No fractures. A right knee contusion following the impact. Alert and communicating,” said the Spokesperson (via Independent)
A safety car was brought out following Bearman’s crash, which benefitted Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, who had not pitted where race leader Oscar Piastri had already made a stop. This gave the young Italian the race lead, who then extended his lead after the restart and won his second F1 race after last weekend’s dominance at the Chinese GP.
Edited by Pranay Bhagi
