Carlos Sainz FURIOUS with F1 and FIA over ignored warnings after huge Japanese Grand Prix crash

Carlos Sainz, Williams, Japan, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Carlos Sainz FURIOUS with F1 and FIA over ignored warnings after huge Japanese Grand Prix crash

Carlos Sainz was seething after the Japanese Grand Prix

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 29 March 2026 11:33 Updated: 12:05

Williams F1 driver Carlos Sainz has slammed the new F1 rules, issuing his frustration at what he believes is the FIA's failure to listen to the drivers.

The Spaniard was not happy following Oliver Bearman's crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, in which the young Brit went hurtling off the track on lap 22 in a huge shunt.

Bearman's accident was a 50G hit, and the 20-year-old was seen getting out of his car limping, clearly having hurt his leg. Haas issued an update on Bearman's health later in the race, stating that he had been x-rayed and had not suffered any fractures, before it was confirmed that he had been cleared by the medical centre at the track.

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The crash came at the Spoon Curve, when he tried to avoid a slow moving Franco Colapinto and got onto the grass at a high-speed section of the track.

But Colapinto didn't have a problem, his Alpine car was just in harvesting mode, recharging its battery before the long straight.

With Bearman looking for the overtake on the Argentine, his car was moving significantly faster, and the closing speed of his Haas compared to the Alpine seemed to take him by surprise, causing the collision.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu told Sky Sports F1 after the collision that he felt that the closing speeds were the reason for Bearman's huge crash.

Now, Sainz has issued his thoughts on the crash, claiming that the drivers have told the FIA about the dangers of the enhanced closing speeds under the new rules.

Sainz's FIA rant in full

"I’m excited to see what FOM and FIA come up for the new regulations," he told Sky Sports F1's Rachel Brookes. "I am hopeful they will come up something a bit better for Miami.

"Given the fact that the accident with Ollie that we saw today, we’ve been warning them about this kind of [thing] happening, this kind of closing speeds and these kind of accidents were always going to happen.

"I’m not very happy with what we’ve had up until now and hopefully we come up with a better solution that doesn’t create these massive closing speeds and a safer way of going racing.

"I was so surprised when they said no, we will sort out qualifying and leave the racing alone because it’s exciting. As drivers, we’ve been extremely vocal that the problem is not only qualifying, it’s also racing.

"We’ve been warning that this kind of accident was always going to happen. Here we were lucky there was an escape road. Now imagine going to Baku or going to Singapore or going to Vegas and having these kind of closing speeds and crashes next to the walls.

"We, as the GPDA, we’ve warned the FIA these actions are going to happen a lot with this set of regulations and we need to change something soon if we don’t want them to happen.

"It was 50G, I heard, it’s higher than my crash in Russia in 2015, I was 46G. Just imagine what kind of crash you could have in a Vegas, Baku et cetera. I hope it serves as an example and the teams listen to the drivers and not so much to the teams and people that said the racing was okay, because the racing is not okay."

1996 world Damon Hill also took to X to side with Bearman: "I think he's right to be concerned. Cars unexpectedly slowing on the fastest parts of any circuit is tantamount to being 'brake tested'.

"Lights are slightly too late to give enough warning."

"Following the accident involving Oliver Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix and the contribution of high closing speeds in the accident, the FIA would like to provide the following clarifications," began the statement.

"Since their introduction, the 2026 regulations have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the FIA, Teams, Power Unit Manufacturers, Drivers and FOM.

"By design, these regulations include a number of adjustable parameters, particularly in relation to energy management, which allow for optimisation based on real-world data.

"It has been the consistent position of all stakeholders that a structured review would take place after the opening phase of the season, to allow for sufficient data to be gathered and analysed.

FIA statement

Following the race the FIA released a statement saying: "A number of meetings are scheduled in April to assess the operation of the new regulations and to determine whether any refinements are required.

"Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis.

"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.

"At this stage, any speculation regarding the nature of potential changes would be premature. Further updates will be communicated in due course."

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Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 FIA Carlos Sainz Japanese Grand Prix Ollie Bearman