British F1 driver Oliver Bearman was left limping and fell to the floor after a high-speed crash during the Japanese Grand Prix
Oliver Bearman crashed into the barrier at the Japanese Grand Prix (Image: Formula 1)
Oliver Bearman appeared to be in considerable discomfort following a high-speed crash during the Japanese Grand Prix. The British driver was seen urgently signalling for the marshals’ help from his Formula 1 car’s cockpit after losing control and spiralling into a barrier.
Two marshals were observed assisting Bearman to walk once he had been extracted from the Haas, with the 20-year-old evidently in severe pain.
He was noticeably limping and, upon reaching behind the barrier, collapsed to the ground where he was seen clutching his right lower leg and ankle, prompting the medical car to be dispatched to his aid.
It was quickly confirmed that Bearman had been transported to the circuit medical centre for additional treatment. Shortly thereafter, a Haas representative informed Express Sport that X-rays had revealed no fractures, only a bruise to his right knee.
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The accident resulted in a prolonged delay to the Grand Prix so that the damaged Haas vehicle could be retrieved and repairs made to the barrier it hit.
The race resumed on lap 28 with Kimi Antonelli leading the restart, having gained an advantage from the safety car’s timing as he had yet to pit, while his team-mate George Russell had just come in for new tyres.
The Italian comfortably maintained his lead following the restart, with Oscar Piastri in second place behind him, though the McLaren soon began to fade.
Antonelli’s pursuit of victory received a significant boost from Lewis Hamilton, who surged past Russell into third and then made life extremely challenging for his former Mercedes colleague trailing behind, reports the Express.
“Wow, f***, our luck in these last two races,” Russell said over team radio, bemoaning his bad fortune after opting to pit moments before the safety car appeared.
By contrast, the timing proved ideal for Antonelli, who had begun from pole position but experienced considerable wheelspin at the start, causing him to lose several positions and hand the early initiative to Russell before the safety car restored it to the Italian teenager.
Russell’s troubles deepened on lap 37 when what appeared to be a deployment problem saw him tumble even further down the order, with Charles Leclerc overtaking him in the second Ferrari.
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All of this was proving beneficial for Piastri, who sat comfortably in second ahead of Hamilton, despite steadily losing ground to race leader Antonelli.
Lando Norris remained stuck in sixth and struggling to advance, while Max Verstappen encountered similar difficulties two positions further back.
He had Pierre Gasly’s Alpine directly in front of him, but his Red Bull car was proving troublesome even for completing that single overtaking manoeuvre.
