The Haas driver's accident occurred on Lap 22 of the Japanese Grand Prix as he approached a slower-moving Franco Colapinto at Spoon Curve - the Argentine's need to recharge his battery meant a closing speed of around 50 km/h, catching Bearman out and sending him into the barriers.

Thankfully, the Briton was eventually cleared by the medical team, but the crash has only increased scrutiny on energy management in 2026, with the FIA issuing a statement setting out plans to evaluate the current rules over April.

Elsewhere, Piastri's McLaren teammate Lando Norris revealed his MCL40 overtook Lewis Hamilton in Japan without his actual input, sparking further calls to change energy deployment rules prior to the next race in Miami.

Speaking to media post-race, Piastri reflected on Bearman's crash, sharing his worrying observation that Colapinto's rear lights, used to indicate energy harvesting to the driver behind, were not blinking at the time.

Piastri said: "We’ve spoken about that being a possibility since these cars were conceptualised, and it’s what we’re stuck with, with the power units. There’s no easy way of getting around it.

"From what I saw, there was no flashing light from Colapinto, so I don’t even think he was super clipping either, which is obviously a bit of a concern."

The Aussie driver also spoke about his own "close call" with Audi's Nico Hulkenberg in FP3, further highlighting a potential safety risk surrounding F1's current battery deployment rules.

Elsewhere, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has heavily praised Piastri despite his difficult start to 2026, which saw him fail to feature in the first two races of the season.

The Aussie bounced back with a P2 finish in Suzuka, as Stella claimed McLaren are seeing the "best version" of Piastri ever since he made his F1 debut in 2023.