Why F1 can only make minor changes after Oliver Bearman’s near-miss. Following Oliver Bearman’s Suzuka incident, Formula 1 faces limited regulatory options.

In the short term, major regulatory revolutions do not appear to be a viable option.

Limited room for action within the rules

The incident involving Oliver Bearman during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka has essentially confirmed what drivers had already been highlighting for some time. The speed difference that can arise between a car in energy harvesting mode and another in full deployment mode can create extremely dangerous situations, such as the one that forced the Haas driver to take to the escape road to ‘avoid’ the ‘wall’ formed by Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, which was travelling 80 km/h slower.

The FIA released an official statement in which it underlined that “it has been agreed among the parties that, although the events held so far have delivered exciting racing, there is a commitment to introduce changes to certain aspects of the regulations regarding energy management.” Driver safety is a topic that – and it would be alarming otherwise – is clearly a priority for Liberty Media, given that the drivers themselves are the main protagonists of the spectacle, the so-called ‘gladiators’ ready to enter the arena.

However, as highlighted in the latest issue of Autosprint, the room for manoeuvre is extremely limited because these power units effectively ‘trap’ the sport. The timeline for any corrective measures involving a new distribution of power – different from the current 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and the electrical component – is estimated at around two years. Even the idea of increasing fuel flow would require a wide range of changes, including tank capacity, cooling systems and their packaging, which cannot be implemented overnight.

“A second path seems more feasible,” the article by Alessandro Gargantini explains, “which is to limit the power of the electrical component in order to reduce charging times and limit speed differences. Even this approach does not offer an ideal solution, as the cars would become slower and the safety issue would not be completely resolved. It is very likely that, for now, small adjustments will be introduced, along with new and more visible warning lights on the rear wing.”

Ultimately, drivers will have to rely even more on their own awareness, adding to the already long list of factors they must monitor the possibility that the car ahead could suddenly slow down significantly at any moment.