Ollie Bearman Limps Away From Violent 50G Crash at Japanese GP
During Sunday’s 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, the legendary Suzuka Circuit proved just how unforgiving it can be when Haas F1 driver Ollie Bearman was involved in a heart-stopping, 50G crash that instantly brought out the Safety Car and completely upended the race. The young Briton, running in his sophomore season with the American outfit, suffered a massive shunt midway through the race that left his 2026 challenger destroyed. Closing Speeds and Evasive Action at Spoon Curve Lap 21 saw Bearman aggressively navigating the ultra-fast Spoon Curve as he came up rapidly behind the Alpine of Franco Colapinto.
The 2026 Formula 1 regulations rely heavily on complex electrical energy harvesting. Colapinto appeared to be in a harvesting phase, creating a lethal speed differential between the two cars. Caught out by the immense closing speed, Bearman was forced to make a split-second decision to avoid completely rear-ending the Alpine.
Bearman violently darted his car to the outside, dipping his tires onto the slick grass. At those speeds, the Haas instantly became a passenger. The car slid out of control, obliterating the brake marker boards before slamming broadside into the heavy tire barriers.
“He had huge closing speed against the car in front, so had to take avoiding action and went on the grass and crashed. Scary,” Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu told reporters on the pit wall shortly after the impact. Limping Away from a 50G Hit The force of the impact registered at a staggering 50Gs, more than enough to trigger the car’s mandatory medical warning lights.
While Bearman was miraculously able to climb out of the pulverized cockpit under his own power, it was immediately clear that he was not walking away unscathed. Broadcast cameras captured the 20-year-old waving for immediate assistance from the track marshals. Visibly in pain, Bearman was seen heavily limping and holding his right leg and ankle before ultimately slumping to the ground to wait for the FIA Medical Car.