F1 must listen to drivers not just teams over safety concerns – Sainz

Formula 1 must start listening to its drivers rather than just teams who are defending 2026’s racing product, to avoid more incidents like Ollie Bearman’s scary Japanese Grand Prix shunt, according to Carlos Sainz.Bearman was sent careering into the barriers at high speed, having been wrong-footed by huge closing speed on the back of Franco Colapinto’s Alpine into the Spoon curve during F1’s Japanese GP.He escaped the 50G crash with bruising on his knee, but Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director Sainz believes this is exactly what the drivers have been warning the FIA would happen.“That’s the problem when you listen only to the teams, that they will think the racing is OK because maybe th …