Brundle Defends Colapinto in High-Speed Incident
During the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Bearman found himself closing in on Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who was harvesting energy at the time. The Briton had to take quick evasive action, dipping onto the grass, which caused him to lose control and crash into the barriers.
4 Key Highlights
- Ollie Bearman crashed at Suzuka after sudden power loss while approaching Alpine’s Franco Colapinto; he was cleared by medics.
- Brundle defended Colapinto, citing extreme closing speeds and no malice in the incident.
- He criticized modern self-learning power units, stressing drivers must control throttle without surprises.
- FIA now faces pressure from drivers and the GPDA to ensure power delivery is linear and safe.
Brundle was quick to defend Colapinto, stressing that the collision was a result of extreme closing speeds and not intentional aggression. “Ollie was on full beans and coming at him, and they just met in the middle on a very long flat-out curve,” he explained. He noted that Colapinto may have been focused on monitoring his car’s systems and not fully aware of Bearman approaching at high speed, highlighting the fine margins that drivers navigate in modern F1.
The Problem with Modern Power Units
While sudden deceleration and closing speeds have long been part of motorsport, Brundle argued that the self-learning aspects of modern power units create unpredictable risks. He recalled historic examples, where drivers could anticipate slowing cars through engine sounds, smoke, or missed gears.
Today, he says, drivers can be caught off guard. “I think the problem the drivers have got—and one thing that really worried me—was Lando Norris saying, ‘I didn’t want to overtake Lewis Hamilton, but my battery decided it did, and then I had nothing to defend with,’” he said. Brundle insists that cars must respond exactly to driver input, with linear and predictable power delivery, otherwise it compromises safety.
Safety, Priorities, and the Role of the FIA
Brundle stressed that while driver safety is sacrosanct, the FIA must balance multiple priorities. Fans are at the top, as they have no expectation of risk; next are marshals and corner workers; then pit crews; and finally the drivers themselves.
Nevertheless, he warned that the drivers’ concerns cannot be ignored. With issues now raised through the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, the FIA is under pressure to act before further incidents occur. “If a car flies into the crowd now and they haven’t done something, shown some due diligence on this, then the FIA will be in for the high jump,” he said.
Hardware Limitations and the Road Ahead
Brundle acknowledged that part of the problem lies in the current hardware. Modern F1 motors generate three times the electrical power of last year, causing rapid battery depletion on long straights. “We’re between a rock and a hard place because the hardware is just not up to it,” he said. While he called the system fundamentally flawed, Brundle believes some issues can be smoothed out to improve safety, arguing that the FIA must take immediate steps to ensure drivers maintain full control of their cars.
