Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has warned Formula 1 against making “knee-jerk reaction changes” to the sport’s 2026 regulations despite his driver Oliver Bearman being involved in a dangerous crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Bearman went onto the grass and spun at over 190mph before hitting the barriers when trying to avoid Alpine's Franco Colapinto, with a 30mph speed differential between the two cars leaving the Brit with limited time to react.
The crash became a major talking point following Sunday's race at Suzuka, with drivers expressing concern that the nature of the 2026 regulations, which cause cars to slow down to harvest energy at the end of straights, make such incidents inevitable.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz was particularly forthright as he urged the FIA to make racing "safer", while the sport's governing body said it would hold meetings during the five-week gap before the Miami Grand Prix to discuss possible changes.
Despite seeing his driver - who was later cleared of any serious injury - limp away from the car, Komatsu is preaching patience.
He told Your Site News: "We're looking at it from all dimensions because, when we make changes, we've got to make the correct ones.
"We cannot be making knee-jerk reaction changes and then a few races later be saying, 'that was the wrong option'.
"The good thing is that the F1 community, all the teams, the FIA, F1, we're all working together in a really open and transparent manner, which I don't think I've seen to this extent before.
"I'm pretty confident that F1, as a community, we'll find the right solution to whatever things we need to improve."
As for Bearman's condition, Komatsu reiterated that the 20-year-old is "fine" following the incident.
"He is fine," Komatsu said. "Thankfully, he's just got a bruised knee, nothing's broken.
"I'm really grateful that he came away with nothing too serious. He should be back fully ready for Miami."
Haas have enjoyed a strong start to the season to sit fourth in the Constructors' Championship after the opening three rounds, something Komatsu admits he "would have laughed" at ahead of his squad's campaign.
Bearman finished seventh at the season-opener in Australia and then fifth in China, while the Brit's team-mate Esteban Ocon added his first point by claiming 10th in Japan.
Despite the strong start, Komatsu has warned that it would be unrealistic for his team to target holding on to fourth.
"This year is going to be a very tough development war, and as a small team, it's going to be very challenging," Komatsu added.
"But we've started this year very well. This kind of result doesn't come along every single year.
"If somebody told me we were going to be P4 in the constructors' standings after three races, I would have laughed.
"We are in a very good position but it's not about protecting that position, it's not about really keeping that position, it's about maximising our capability, looking at our process and forecasts, and then getting the best out of car, our team and our drivers, so we're going to be focused on that."
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Your Site F1.
