1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has laid into Franco Colapinto and pinned responsibility on the huge accident that took out Ollie Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix firmly on the Argentinian’s shoulders.
The Alpine driver was in front of the Englishman on Lap 21 at the Suzuka circuit, when the incident occurred.
Both drivers were approaching the Spoon Curve, with Bearman behind, who encountered Colapinto at a speed around 50kph slower, owing to the Alpine’s battery being recharged.
Bearman, deploying a faster mode on his car, jinked left to avoid him, sending him onto the grass, and skidding across the circuit and backwards into the tyre wall on the opposite side.
The 20-year-old was swiftly taken to the medical centre, having been seen limping from the wreckage towards the safety of the marshals post.
Bearman was given a clean bill of health, and Colapinto went on to finish the race in 13th place, with the stewards deciding to take no further action on the incident.
That decision baffled Villeneuve, who told F1 that Colapinto, despite the incident seeming to place blame onto the speed difference caused by the new regulations, was the guilty party.
“I was surprised that nothing was done to Colapinto, because this is what you don’t want to see,” he said.
“A little move just as you approach the corner, in such a dangerous corner where he’s actually regenerating energy.
“I guess now we’ve seen the danger of this new regulation, the difference in speed differential with some movements can be so dangerous.
“There’s nothing Oliver could do. And I don’t understand what Colapinto was thinking, moving at such a slow speed in such a dangerous place.”
Colapinto had been placed under scrutiny last year due to spending parts of the season unable to match the speed of teammate Pierre Gasly.
But with one point under his belt already this year, there are signs of improvement from the former Williams man, and despite Bearman commenting that he could have been given a little more room, Colapinto has largely evaded blame for this incident.
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