Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shared his perspective on the dangers linked to energy harvesting on straights following the incident between Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto, an episode that has reignited concerns over the safety implications of the current Formula 1 regulations.
Suzuka exposed a significant weakness in the new rules. Recharging the battery on straights can become dangerous, as it creates large speed differentials between two cars battling on track. The crash involving Bearman and Colapinto confirmed the fears already raised by several drivers, who had been warning since pre-season testing in Bahrain about the risks associated with sudden power cuts at high speed.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also addressed the topic, explaining that solving the issue is far from straightforward. This, in his view, makes it even more important for drivers defending their position to act responsibly and with caution.
Antonelli’s view
The Italian driver shared his thoughts with the Italian media just a few hours after his victory in Japan: “I didn’t clearly see what happened to Ollie, I was told about it. It is definitely not easy. For example, even with Charles Leclerc, I was using much more battery in certain areas where he was not using it at all, and in those situations you end up with a significant speed difference. Even those defending need to be fair and avoid making last-minute moves, because you risk situations like the one we saw today.”
According to Antonelli, the side effects of battery recharge are inherent to the new regulations and therefore cannot be easily resolved in the short term: “I don’t think it is something that is easy to fix. Every team decides how and where to use the battery. Precisely for this reason, drivers need to be respectful in this aspect and avoid last-second moves, because it is too risky. Sometimes the speed difference is so big that you don’t even notice it at first, you only realize at the last moment that the other car is about to overtake you. You might exit a corner with half a second gap and never expect that within a few hundred meters the other car is already alongside you. It is not easy to manage.”
FIA and teams at work
While drivers defending their position do carry some responsibility in avoiding incidents, the FIA appears determined to step in and adjust the regulations to mitigate the issue. Shortly after the race, the governing body released a statement confirming that “all stakeholders have agreed on the need for a structured review after the initial phase of the season, in order to gather and analyze sufficient data.”
From this perspective, the April break comes at an ideal moment, giving the FIA and the teams valuable time to run simulations and identify the most effective solutions to address what is quickly becoming one of the most critical safety concerns of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Kimi Antonelli therefore believes that while the technical structure of the 2026 power units makes “clipping” inevitable, driver etiquette must adapt to prevent further accidents. Based on the FIA’s recent communication, we can expect significant data-driven changes to energy deployment strategies before the next round.
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