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Franco Colapinto was the driver at the centre of the incident that sent Oliver Bearman into the barriers at Spoon Corner. He had no warning it was coming, and seeing it unfold in his mirrors left him genuinely shaken about what the 2026 regulations are producing on track.
What Colapinto Saw in His Mirror
Colapinto had been conserving energy through the section when Bearman came up behind him at full deployment. The speed difference between the two cars was more than 50 kilometres per hour. Colapinto only knew about it when he glanced in his mirror and saw Bearman already in the gravel, spinning at a speed that should have been catastrophic.
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"It is really strange," he told the international media. "It is a corner we take flat out and he was just over 50 km/h faster than me, so that is very strange. I think it really becomes dangerous when the straight sections are not straight and there are corners, because we are not driving in a straight line, we are making a kind of turn, and when I looked in my mirror I saw him spinning in the grass. But even while spinning he was overtaking me, so imagine the speed difference."
"I Have Never Moved or Done Anything Like That"
Colapinto was careful to make clear that he had not changed his line or done anything to contribute to the incident. "I never moved or anything like that. So I think the biggest difference is that one car is going 50 km/h or more slower than the other. That is when it becomes dangerous."
He was relieved that Bearman walked away with only a bruised ankle. "I think at some moments it really does become dangerous. I am glad he is okay. I saw him walking in the paddock and he seems fine." The physical outcome was fortunate. The circumstances that created it have not gone away.
The Same Thing Happened in Melbourne
Colapinto revealed that he had experienced a similar situation in the opening race of the season. "The same thing happened to me in Melbourne. There was one at the start of a race where I had to avoid something that was 100 km/h slower than me. These are problems that come with these cars. We just need to understand how to reduce them." Two incidents across three race weekends suggest this is a pattern, not bad luck, and the pressure on the FIA to act is only going to grow.
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