Bearman: I'm lucky to be standing after a “monster shot” near‑miss in China

Oliver Bearman escaped a potentially catastrophic collision with Isack Hadjar on lap 1 of the Chinese Grand Prix, calling it a “monster shot”. Hadjar spun at the corner onto the long back straight, sending his RB22 across Bearman's path. Bearman veered left into the runoff and rejoined at the back of the pack.

Why it matters:

• Split‑second decisions in midfield can turn a crash into a near‑miss, underscoring how thin the margin for error is.
• The incident highlights safety challenges at Shanghai’s fast corner, where wind and balance can quickly destabilise cars.

The details:

• Lap 1, turn 14: Hadjar spun his RB22 across the racing line; Bearman had ~0.1 s to steer left into the runoff.
• The evasive maneuver dropped Bearman to last, but he fought back and dubbed the race “fantastic” after avoiding a “monster shot”.
• Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the midfield is tightly packed and Ferrari‑powered Haas still struggles to overtake.

What's next:

• Bearman will aim to stay out of early incidents and extract more from the Aston Martin as the season unfolds.
• Haas may tweak aerodynamics and power‑unit settings to improve overtaking, especially on circuits with long straights.